A blog about design at the OU.
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Presence in distance education – spaces to belong
I promise this is not going to be a philosophical discussion, but a rather practical view on the topic. In a discussion of a new design degree at the OU (we call it ‘BDes’), a group of academics mused about how you are present (or what of you is present) when you are studying at […]
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Art-Based Research Methods, STE(A)M and Global Challenges
Over the past two weeks, I shared some thoughts about Art Based Research (ABR) methods with students and colleagues. I thought I would also write my reflection here. Personally, I have always been driven toward ABR for my need to think through making and my passion for the arts. But aside from my strictly personal […]
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Design research snapshot
The design group is multidisciplinary and engages in a wide range of research, including on sustainability, education, inclusion, systems thinking, arts and activism. Working at a distance, it is difficult to keep track of what everyone is up to, and so, we have monthly meetings to discuss our projects and papers. Do look out for […]
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Growing cross-sector design collaboration in placemaking
The UK Government recently announced its Levelling Up plan aiming to ‘spread opportunity more equally across the UK’, and to narrow the social and economic disparities that exist across different places. Part of this plan is to give more power to local governments to regenerate their own town and cities. Placemaking is back on the agenda, […]
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Publication: Aesthetic strategies for engaging with environmental governance
New OU Design Group Publication! Aesthetic strategies for engaging with environmental governance Christian Nold and Karolina Sobecka http://oro.open.ac.uk/80368/ ‘Aesthetic strategies for engaging with environmental governance’ – written with @ksobecka. Aesthetic strategies can engage environmental governance to build alternative worlds. http://oro.open.ac.uk/80368/ – in Routledge Handbook of Art, Science, and Technology Studies #STS #sciart The sciences and […]
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Design Education: Teaching in Crisis
At the end of 2021 we published the special issue Design Education: Teaching in Crisis in the Journal of Design and Technology Education (DATE). This brought together 16 articles from academics around the world to present articles, case studies and opinion pieces based on their experiences during the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2020/21, Over the next […]
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Christian Nold: Mapping, Generative Coding, Science and Technology Studies and Systemic design
Hi, my name is Christian Nold and I started at the OU in September 2021 as a Lecturer in Design. In this text I want to introduce myself and offer a few themes from my work that might be relevant to both design teaching and research such as mapping, generative coding, Science and Technology Studies […]
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Redesigning how to tackle sustainability
In her thought-provoking blog in November, Alice Moncaster expressed the hope that, following COP26’s image of male, white, and wealthy people making decisions, that COP27 would be “redesigned in a way that allows all people to participate equally that works best for them”, concluding that “the most sustainable solutions are those which are designed by […]
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Design Education: Teaching in Crisis
Last year we (Nicole and Derek) opened a call for papers to capture some of the experiences and lessons from design educators during the Covid-19 global pandemic. We are delighted to announce the publication of a Special Issue of the Journal of Design and Technology Education (DATE): Design Education: Teaching in Crisis The Special Issue […]
