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Past Events
RAE2008 OU Art and Design Submission 3rd in UK
Added 19th December 2008
Our submission to the 2008 Research assessment exercise was ranked 1st of all Open University submissions, and 3rd out of 72 Art and Design submissions. 35% of our work was graded at 4* (World Leading), with 45% graded at 3* (Internationally excellent). This is an excellent result, and confirms our position as one of the top group of design researchers in the UK. Submissions to all three previous research assessment exercises have achieve a '5' rating.
New Transport Research Projects
Added 15th December 2008
Professor Stephen Potter has secured a €73,100 grant for our contribution to the CEC FP7 project 'User-driven Stimulation of Radical New Technological Steps in Surface Transport' (or U-STIR for short). Dr Sally Caird will also work on this project, which involves a Europe-wide consortium and the project will run for two years from January 2009.
Stephen Potter is also part of a consortium led by the Transport Research Laboratory that has won a 4-year Framework Contract to provide Workplace Travel Plan Research for Transport for London. This success follows on from existing work with TfL that has included their part-funding a suite of CPD courses for travel planners.
New Transport Research Projects
Added 15th December 2008
Professor Stephen Potter has secured a €73,100 grant for our contribution to the CEC FP7 project 'User-driven Stimulation of Radical New Technological Steps in Surface Transport' (or U-STIR for short). Dr Sally Caird will also work on this project, which involves a Europe-wide consortium and the project will run for two years from January 2009.
Stephen Potter is also part of a consortium led by the Transport Research Laboratory that has won a 4-year Framework Contract to provide Workplace Travel Plan Research for Transport for London. This success follows on from existing work with TfL that has included their part-funding a suite of CPD courses for travel planners.
Video Introductions to Design Research Facilities
Added 5th December 2008
We've recently produced two video introductions to new research facilities in the group. The FabLab: a facility for rapid fabrication of products, and the Design Observatory: a facility for making group presentations and observing design behaviour.
The FabLab
The Design Observatory
ATELIER-D, Creating a virtual design studio.
Added November 30th 2008
Members of the design group have been successful in gaining £180k funding from JISC for a project entitled 'Achieving Transformation, Enhanced Learning and Innovation through Educational Resources in Design: Atelier-D'. The two year project will focus on the development and use of virtual spaces and tools to create an online design studio environment that will support student learning across the design programme. Project members are Steve Garner (PI), Georgy Holden (Project Manager), Emma Dewberry, Peter Lloyd, Nicole Schadewitz, Theo Zamenopoulous (all Design) and Giselle Ferreira (Dept of Communications and Systems).
Further information about the project
New Book: Writing on Drawing, edited by Steve Garner
An increased public and academic interest in drawing and sketching, both traditional and digital, has allowed drawing research to emerge recently as a discipline in its own right. In light of this development, Writing on Drawing presents a collection of essays by leading artists and drawing researchers that reveal a provocative agenda for the field, analyzing the latest work on creativity, education and thinking from a variety of perspectives. Writing on Drawing is a forward-looking text that provokes enquiry and shared understanding of contemporary drawing research and practice. An essential resource for artists, scientists, designers, and engineers, this volume offers consolidation, discussion and guidance for a previously fragmented discipline.
ISBN 9781841502007
Hardback 230x174mm
Published Intellect Books & NSEAD, October 2008
Price £24.95
Part of the Readings in Art and Design Education series
ESRC Genomics Network conference
Several DPP members are presenting papers at this year's ESRC Genomics Network conference on Oct 27th and 28th. The conference is being organised this year by the ESRC Innogen Centre based at the University of Edinburgh and at the Open University in DPP.
More information can be found at the Innogen website: www.genomicsnetwork.ac.uk/innogen
Japanese edition of Engineering Design Methods
A Japanese edition of Nigel Cross's textbook Engineering Design Methods: Strategies for Product Design has been published by Baifukan, Tokyo, July 2008.
Exploring the Need for Ecoliteracy in 21st Century Design Education
As part of an EPSRC funded project Exploring ecoliteracy and its relevance in realizing far-reaching sustainable innovation, Dr Emma Dewberry has been working with the EcoDesign Centre in Wales [EDC] to develop a conversation with HE Design institutions in Wales about the need for more radical design for sustainability. A workshop was held in May in Cardiff castle to explore areas of design for sustainability when placed in a context of ecological limits to growth. The day produced an interesting discussion that contributes to the ongoing EDC education initiative and Dr Dewberry’s ecoliteracy project.
Click here to see a presentation given at the workshop
Click here for a link to the article
Rock Star of Design Research!
That's the headline given to an interview with Nigel Cross in Ambidextrous, the design magazine produced by students at Stanford University Design School. The interview discusses topics such as design thinking, design research and good design practice - and of course rock 'n' roll!
Click here for a pdf of the published interview.
Click here to see the full interview on the magazine website.
New Design Innovation Group / Energy Saving Trust report on widespread household take up of microgeneration heat
A new report (YIMBY Generation – Yes in my back yard! UK householders pioneerig microgeneration heat) examining consumer adoption and non-adoption of microgeneration heat technologies (solar thermal, heat pumps, biomass heating) released June 2008 by the Open University's Design Innovation Group/Sustainable Technologies Group and the Energy Saving Trust, and funded by the University of East Anglia’s Carbon Connections Fund, reveals the financial, regulatory and logistical solutions that will encourage a greater uptake of microgeneration heat technologies in homes across the UK.
Click here to download the report
Design Videos now on iTunes
It is now possible to download Open University learning resources free using Apple's iTunes service. A number of videos from two Design courses (T211 and T307) are available - and very excellent they are too!
If you have iTunes go to the iTunes store and enter 'Design Open University' in the search box, alternatively follow this link:
New edition of Nigel Cross's Methods book
Added 13th May 2008 
The new fourth edition of Nigel Cross's best-selling textbook Engineering Design Methods: Strategies for Product Design was published on 11 April 2008 by John Wiley and Sons Ltd., Chichester. The book is used at a variety of different levels in universities around the world. Over 25,000 copies have been sold. Previous editions also exist in Spanish and Korean languages. A Japanese version of the new edition is in preparation
Two new members of staff join the Design Group
Added 8th February 2008
Two new members of staff have joined us, starting at the beginning of February. We welcome Emma Dewberry, a new Senior Lecturer, who joins us from Loughborough University in the field of Sustainable Design. We also welcome Nicole Schadewitz, a new Lecturer, who joins us after completing her PhD in cross-cultural collaborative design at the School of Design, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Emma and Nicole join us at an exciting time for Design at the Open University with new courses and an award currently in development.
Design group hosts international seminar on shape grammar research
Added 6 December 2007
Prof George Stiny from MIT gave the keynote address at a shape grammar research seminar held at the OU on 30.11.07. This international event spotlighted recent AHRC-funded collaborative research between the OU (Chris Earl, Steve Garner and Miquel Prats) and Strathclyde and Leeds universities.
The seminar included the demonstration of newly developed software for detecting and modifying sub-shapes in design sketches - potentially supporting the generation of families of related designs.
Future work aims to improve the support of creative idea generation in product industries and architecture. Amongst the participants were Nick Jinkinson from Motorola's UK Design Centre and academics from universities in Portugal, Germany and Turkey.
New product development with OU Life Sciences
Added 1st November 2007
Steve Garner, Charlie Snelling and Gareth Paterson have assisted PhD students from Life Sciences to convert a principle into a concept product as part of a national competition.
The Biotechnology Young Entrepreneurs Scheme (Biotechnology YES!) http://www.biotechnologyyes.co.uk/, took place in Manchester from 17-19 October. The three-day event and competition provided training and awareness in entrepreneurship. It also exposed students to presentations by successful Biotech companies. Various PhD student teams developed hypothetical business plans for their proposals and bid for funding to a panel of ‘financers’ to commercialise the idea. The student team from Life Sciences proposed a urine test for vitamin levels which could be used as an indication of nutrition. Photos of the concept product, packaging and event are shown below.
The Life Sciences team was Elizabeth Latta (Managing Director), Thurka Poobalasingam (Research and Development Director), Nicola Corbett (Operations Director), Ya Gao (Finance Director) and Kathleen Wright (Marketing Director), all 3rd Year PhD students.
Design and Designing (T211) published on OpenLearn
Added 24th September 2007
Steve Garner has selected material from T211 Design and Designing and re-presented this as an introduction to design for the OpenLearn initiative. The materials, titled ‘Designing for People’, are intended to give potential students a 12 hour taster of design education at the OU.
Design and Innovation Group Evidence Published
Added 17th September 2007
Professor Robin Roy and Dr Sally Caird submited evidence summarising key findings of the DIG's 'People-centred eco-design project' to the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee for its enquiry on Climate change: the “citizen’s agenda”. The Commitee's report was published on 13 September 2007 with a government response due on 13 November 2007.
Roy, R. and Caird, S. (2007) Memorandum submitted by the Design Innovation Group, The Open University, In House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Climate change: the “citizen’s agenda”, Eighth Report of Session 2006-7, Vol. II, Oral and written evidence, HC 1688-II, London: The Stationery Office, Sept., pp. 413-418.
Honourary Fellowship
Added 17th September 2007
Professor Nigel Cross was made an Honorary Fellow of The Design Society on 27 August 2007. The Design Society is an international body whose goal is 'To contribute to a broad and established understanding of development and design, and to promote the use of results and knowledge for the good of humanity'. Honorary Fellowship is the highest honour the Society can bestow and is awarded to an individual recognised by the Society to have rendered outstanding services to the design research community.
Book Release: Sustainable Energy - Opportunities and Limitations
Added 15th August 2007
In this timely book, edited by Professor Dave Elliott, leading authors explore the technologies that might help us to develop a sustainable energy future, emphasising renewable energy and the political and economic context needed for them to prosper. This collection makes hard-headed assessments of what is possible and what is not.
Test Your Enterprising Tendency!
Added 27th July 2007
Sally Caird has recently led OU participation in a successful bid by Kingston University to the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NEST A) for funding under the Education for Innovation initiative. This led from research based on the well-known General Enterprising Tendency (GET test) which Sally had previously developed. A website is now available for people to test their enterprising tendency - so why not test yours!
Design Thinking Research Symposium 7: Design Meeting Protocols
Added 26th July 2007
Dr. Peter Lloyd is currently organising the next Design Thinking Research Symposium which will take place at Central Saint Martins in London, between 18th and 21st September, 2007. The workshop is based around the common analysis of video data obtained from design meetings of architects and engineers, and promises to be a landmark event for design research.
Milton Keynes Science Festival
Added 18th July 2007
Dr Sally Caird, Research Fellow, assisted at the MK Science Festival event hosted at Cranfield Saturday 14 July 2007. She and Dr Stephen Hallett, an academic from Cranfield University, presented two eco-lifestyle quizzes, for adults and young people. Adults and children were able to try these interactive educational quizzes, hosted on several computers at the Festival. This was well received and promoted much discussion about sustainable lifestyles. The eco-lifestyle quizzes are now hosted on the soil education website, and were used to create the ‘Postcards from the Future’ interactive quiz on Open2.NET associated with the OU/BBC Coast series. Further developments are also under review for adaptation as part of the BBC initiative Planet Relief in collaboration with Cranfield University.
Media Culture Journal Special Edition
Added 9th July 2007
The latest edition of M/C Journal is a special edition on the theme 'complex' featuring an article by Karen Cham & Jeffrey Johnson.
Book Release from Ann Thorpe
Added 27th June
The Designer's Atlas of Sustainability from Island Press, charting the conceptual landscape through ecology, economy and cutlure.
Find the free "open source" teaching guide at www.designers-atlas.net along with sustainable design links and expanded book contents.
The Third International Conference on Design Computing and Cognition
Added 27th June
Peter Lloyd has accepted an invitation to be the Vice-Chair for the United Kingdom for the third International Conference on Design Computing and Cognition (DCC'08). The Conference will be held at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia in June 2008.
This biennial conference series provides an international forum for the presentation and discussion of state-of- the-art and cutting-edge research with a focus on artificial intelligence, cognitive science and computational theories in design.
International Exhibition and Workshop in Art and Complexity
Added 1st June, 2007
Karen Cham and Jeffrey Johnson are co-organising an art and complexity event to take place from Wednesday 13th - Friday 15th June 2007. The workshop will involve key speakers in complexity and art, along with experimental work and interactive projects.
The even will take place at the Lighthouse Media Centre, Kensington Street, The Sallis Benney Theatre, Grande Parade, Brighton
See the Highlights of the Workshop
Teaching and Learning Award for T211 Tutors
Added 20th April 2007
A team of three Associate Lecturers on T211 Design and Designing have jointly received an OU teaching award for developing practice-based professional learning. Phebe Mann, Nick Jeffrey and Jenny Gray submitted evidence of activities and outputs relating to a T211 dayschool they devised for students in the London region and which ran in 2005 and 2006.
The team designed the 'Crash' project - a regeneration of a small triangular urban site in London's Docklands. Their students explored the site and negotiated requirements within their teams and with stakeholders, demonstrating effective collaboration as they converted their requirements to conceptual designs.
The Crash project required student groups to consider energy use, materials and processes with minimal environmental impacts, recycling and community opinion in this social regeneration scheme. The project also provided a context for developing student skills in drawing, verbal and graphic presentation, negotiation, and planning.
The award is worth £2000.
OU Technology Radio Interviews
Added 1st March 2007
Children's BBC Presenter Barney Harwood interviewed Associate Lecturer Dr Nicky Hughes and several RoboCupJunior RoboDance teams on Monday 26th March for BBC Radio 4's children's programme "Go 4 It" and will be broadcast on Sunday evening 11th March on Radio 4.
Ashley Green gave a half-hour live interview on BBC Radio Wales' "Adam Walton Show" on Monday evening 19th March. The interview covered robotics in general, RoboFesta, RoboCup, RoboCupJunior and the OU's role in promoting STEM education through robotics.
Carbon Connections
Added February 17th 2007
Professor Robin Roy has been awarded a research grant of £49,646 from HEIF3 Carbon Connections fund for a joint OU/Energy Saving Trust scoping project ‘Carbon dioxide saving through commercialisation of domestic micro-generation technologies in the UK’.
Green Fiscal Commission
Added 1st May, 2007
Professor Stephen Potter has been appointed a Commissioner to the Green Fiscal Commission. This has been established to oversee a two year enquiry into environmental taxation reform.
Drawing Research Symposium
20th March 2007, Wimbledon College of Art
The latest in a series of drawing research symposia took place on
20 March 2007, co-organised by Steve Garner and hosted by Wimbledon College of Art. The Keynote paper was given by Stephen Farthing, Rootstein Hopkins Professor of Drawing at the University of the Arts London, with other papers by Prof. Avis Newman and Dr Tania Kovats. Over 70 delegates attended from the UK and mainland Europe. Proceedings will be available shortly. Steve Garner is Director of the international Drawing Research Network. More information from s.w.garner@open.ac.uk
World Cup Robot Football
30th July - 4th June, 2006, Dortmund, Germany
The Deparment of Design and Innovation, in collaboration with the International Manufacturing Centre at the University of Warwick represented England at the FIRA Robot Football World Cup in Dortmund, Germany. The combined team, including James Law, made it through the group stages, but were knocked out prior to the quarter finals by previous world champions, Austria.
The Open University at the British Museum
Sunday 21st May, 2006, 10:15 - 16:00
The Open University is staging an outreach event at the British Museum and two of the department's staff, Robin Roy and Stephen Peake are making presentations. At 11:00 Robin is giving a talk titled Design for Sustainability, while at 12:00 Stephen's talk is Changing the World through Design and Innovation.
To find out more, and to reserve places, read the Flyer for the event
Robot Football
Wednesday 12th - Thursday 13th April, 2006
The Department of Design and Innovation recently took part in the 3rd UK Robot Football Championships, held in London, with a team including James Law and Pejman Iravani. The event attracted strong media interest, reported on both the BBC and Channel 4 national news.
Read the BBC description of the event
Design and Shape Computation Workshop '06
Wednesday 8 March 2006
The workshop is intended to explore current developments in theory, implementation and applications of shape computation in design, particularly generative methods. It will assess the state of recent research. The workshop is timely with several projects nearing completion ranging from PhD’s to research monographs, including George Stiny's book on Shape to be published in March.
The workshop will review current work and frame promising areas for future research. In addition we will devote some time to exploring issues around Design Education and the role and place of Design as a Discipline in University teaching and research.
For further information please contact: Miquel Prats
2006 EERU Conference
Coping With Variability: Integrating Renewables into the Electricity System
Thursday 26th January
The energy available from the winds, waves, tides and the sun varies in ways which may not match variations in energy demand - sometimes there will be too much power, at other times not enough. Is this a significant problem, or can these new sources be integrated into the grid system without the need for extensive back up or energy storage capacity?
The conference will look at the technical options for reconciling the differing patterns of supply and demand.
Download the conference flyer [pdf] or see the programme [pdf]
For further information contact: Dave Elliott
Page Last Updated: 3 December, 2009