A blog about design at the OU.
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Back to the Future: can we nurture transformational design?
A few months ago, I was asked by the journal of the Town and Country Planning Association to write a short article as part of the TCPA’s 125th anniversary. Back in 1898 the TCPA was instrumental in promoting the Garden Cities/New Towns concept and today remains a forum for more radical thinking in urban and […]
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Digital Transformation in Finance: Key Takeaways from the Banking Summit
The banking sector, long seen as a bastion of tradition, is undergoing a transformation driven by digital innovation and a renewed focus on user-centric design. At the heart of this transformation is a shift in thinking that prioritises understanding and meeting users’ real needs. As we explore the role of design in banking, it becomes […]
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Adventures in design: a curiosity-driven career
Taking the plunge to study for a career in any field is a bold and purposeful step in life. To pursue a creative career takes perhaps an even bolder leap of faith when the array of potential work roles is so diverse and constantly evolving. Design roles today are no exception. More younger adults are […]
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T190: Design practices – Module overview
T190: Design practices is the first of a series of new modules that will form the brand new Bachelor of Design qualification (BDes). T190 provides a foundation in design practice by introducing the principles and skills from topics in different creative and design disciplines. These principles and skills are learned by applying them to a […]
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New design module! T190: Design practices
The Design Group are delighted to announce our new introductory design module – available for study in October 2024! T190: Design practices is a foundation in design practices that introduces principles and skills from topics in different creative and design disciplines. These skills and principles are applied throughout the module in a series of design […]
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Concerning the Spiritual in Design
Having visited 78 Derngate in Northampton with students and tutors on the design courses last month, I was inspired to return to my studies of Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) and the Glasgow Four. 78 Derngate, a small terraced house near one of the old town gates, was originally built in 1815. The interior, extensively remodelled […]
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Serious Youth Violence & Social Media
I am Daniel Chapman a PhD researcher with the OU under the supervision of Nicole Lotz, Katerina Alexiou and Theodore Zamenopoulos. In my research, I interrogate and investigate the intricate and delicate problem that is Serious Youth Violence and social media. I am interested in the ways in which social media platforms generate, manipulate, and […]
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The Many Hidden Aspects of Mending
According to WRAP (2012), around 166 million items of clothing could be worn again if they were repaired yet nearly 350,000 tonnes of clothing were discarded as residual waste in 2021. If more clothing were to be repaired around 13.9 kg of carbon emissions per garment would be saved (Bevilacqua et al., 2011) which could […]
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Food, shelter and re-designing home
As a new resident in Milton Keynes, I’ve brought along my decades-long curiosity about how people live day to day and how they organise themselves in different places and cultures to meet needs for food and shelter. Since neither can be guaranteed for all people anywhere in a world of deepening inequality, designers committed to […]
