Designing Death: Celebrating Life Through Palliative Care

Introduction

Imagine living moments where the scent of freshly baked cookies, a gentle pet’s companionship, or the simple act of watching sunlight dance on walls becomes the essence of life itself. This is the world BJ Miller, MD invites us into—a world shaped not by medical machinery but by human connection, sensory richness, and creative presence.

In this book, you'll embark on Dr. Miller’s extraordinary journey: from surviving a tragic electrical accident that cost him three limbs to becoming a leading voice in palliative care. Through his compassionate lens, we explore how our healthcare systems often magnify unnecessary suffering by focusing solely on disease rather than the person.

More than a critique, this work is a manifesto—a call to weave design thinking into end-of-life care: to build environments, rituals, and practices that honor human dignity, celebrate the senses, and transform dying into a final act of living.

Whether you're a caregiver, medical professional, patient, or someone pondering the meaning of mortality, this book offers a vision: one where death becomes a canvas, and every remaining breath is a brushstroke infused with beauty, imagination, and love.

— A Celebration of Life in Every Ending