Month: November 2020

  • Black Inventors and Innovators: New Perspectives

    Black Inventors and Innovators: New Perspectives

    As part of Black History Month, The Smithsonian Institute’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation held a week-long webinar series, from 16-20 November 2020, about Black and other inventors of colour and Black technology consumers. The seminars also explored strategies for building a more equitable system of invention, patenting, finance and innovation […]

  • Art History and Design in Dialogue: Abutments and Confluences

    Art History and Design in Dialogue: Abutments and Confluences

    Design at the Open University has always bridged knowledge systems and approaches from the natural sciences, humanities and social sciences. The Design Group connects to other schools within STEM but also to other faculties and schools at the Open University. The new Special Issue in the Open Arts Journal ART HISTORY AND DESIGN IN DIALOGUE: […]

  • Design @Open YouTube channel

    Design @Open YouTube channel

    We have curated a collection of videos authored by OU Design staff and students on our newly opened YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5dwgQTcTO0bCgA1Oiu-TBQ/playlists The collection introduces research projects, qualification engagement events and seminars. We seek to grow the collection, and each month we will introduce a Design academic in a video interview. In October, I interviewed Prof […]

  • Civic action during and beyond COVID – challenges and opportunities

    Civic action during and beyond COVID – challenges and opportunities

    It is without doubt true that the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted our ‘normal’ way of life, our work and the way we communicate and socialise with others. Many people now increasingly face important economic, health and mental wellbeing challenges and some groups within our society are hit worse than others (e.g. women, and BAME groups). […]

  • Can Artificial Intelligence (AI) become a creative friend?

    Can Artificial Intelligence (AI) become a creative friend?

    Blog Post by Lisa Bowers & Elouise Huxor In his article ‘Crafting an Artificial Intelligence I‘, Yatharth argues that there are parallels to be drawn between the craft process and the development of machine learning through engagement with the data as material. The word technology has its roots as a Greek word roughly translated as ‘a […]