Design for play
According to the BBC, researchers at the University of the West of England will use design techniques to reduce childhood obesity by encouraging regular play and activity in outdoor spaces.
Professor Lamine Mahdjoubi from the faculty of the built environment said "We are going to explore the potential of creative design in outdoor public spaces to promote healthy and inclusive environments for the young people of the 21st Century."
Jude | LINK | HEALTH | COMMENTS (0)
What's that mob thing?
The activmob project website it now live. Read an introduction to the activmob platform, an output of our work in Kent and view some prototype touchpoints including: your.mob the activmob magazine and screenshots of website.wearemobs.org
Chris Vanstone | LINK | HEALTH PROJECT | COMMENTS (0)
A new blog on the block
There's a new design blog on the block - they like ours, and as it turns out we think theirs is very nice too. The guys at CPH127 are on about the influence of design as a motor for innovation and vice versa. Have a look.
Jude | LINK | MISCELLANEOUS + OPEN SOURCE | COMMENTS (0)
Static - Increasing energy awareness
Our next project will address climate change and domestic energy consumption. We've just finished writing a brief for a design competition that will look at redesigning one householder's experience of energy...watch this space for details.
Until then see what the Interactive Institute in Sweden have been doing in the same rich territory by redesigning products to increase energy awareness.
'Disappearing-Pattern Tiles', bathroom tiles are decorated with patterns in a thermo-chromic ink that reacts to heat, fading away to reflect splashes and intensities of hot-water use. The longer the shower, the less decoration on the wall!
Erratic Objects is a series of objects that behave erratically when an individual is using too much power.
It is usually hard to tell whether radiators are on or off except by laying a hand upon them. Element is a prototype is made out of glass, metal and enough light bulbs to reach the same efficiency as an electric radiator, and the current energy level is visible at all times.
The work will be on exhibition on the 8th and 9th of March at the Energitinget conference in Eskilstuna, all part of Swedens 2005 design year
Chris Vanstone | LINK | CLIMATE CHANGE | COMMENTS (0)
It's all happening in the States.
Last week IIT ran a design strategy workshop in San Francisco featuring two of the pillars of transformation design Patrick Whitney of IIT and Peter Coughlan - practise leader of Transformation at IDEO. (Who indcidentaly is usingn the term co-creation)
If we're talking IIT it's also worth mentioning their newish master of design methods degree.
Peter Me was lucky enough to but go wasn't too impressed - but there are some good notes on Peter's talk. Read them here:
READ MORE..."It's all happening in the States."
READ MORE..."It's all happening in the States."
Chris Vanstone | LINK | TRANSFORMATION DESIGN | COMMENTS (0)
And at Stanford...
... the website is up for the much heralded d-school:
They talk about 'design being the glue that binds multidisciplinary teams together' and 'solving big problems in a human centered way'
Can't wait to see the projects. They promise to tackle difficult, messy problems including stopping drunk driving, building better elementary schools and developing environmentally sustainable offerings.
Seems like we have some allies across the water - good luck.
Chris Vanstone | LINK | TRANSFORMATION DESIGN | COMMENTS (0)
