A blog about design at the OU.
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Working towards gender equality at the School of Engineering and Innovation
I am very proud to say that the School of Engineering and Innovation, which Design is part of, has received an Athena SWAN Silver Award following its recent submission to AdvanceHE. Athena SWAN is an internationally-recognised gender equality initiative, acting as a catalyst for change and cultural transformation, which enables staff and students to achieve…
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Incubating Civic Leadership
Much of the research we do at the Design Group is driven by a sense of care for people, our places and the planet, and an aspiration to use design to enthuse and empower people to create better futures. We often focus on the struggles but also creativity of everyday people, especially those that are…
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Exploring a quantified commute
Like many people I hope to return to my office this autumn for a few days a week. While I am looking forward to catching up with long standing colleagues I haven’t seen for sometime and meeting some of my students in person for the first time, my desire for sociality is tempered by a…
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Working with Design students and tutors to understand how mental health can have a major impact on students’ studies and their wellbeing.
clipartmag.com “OfS head Nicola Dandridge said more must be done to look after students. This year’s annual National Student Survey, run by the OfS, found only 42% felt enough was done to help them.” Student watchdog concerned about mental health help – BBC News 16/07/2021 As educators of distance design students, how…
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Retrofit and new build – the policy reality gap
I was quietly minding my own business on Thursday the 24th of June when not one, but two colleagues emailed me to say that Radio 4’s The World at One was discussing heritage buildings and that I might want to listen in. Through the wonders of BBC Sounds I was able to go back and…
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Rethinking household chores, and game design about farming industry among student projects presented at OU Annual Design Show.
A low-tech solution where kids exercise and tumble wash their clothes, a grocery trolley designed according to Inclusive Design principles, and an app that relies on true body size, not labels to curate your online shopping experience were among the projects presented at the Annual OU Design Show. This year, over 50 projects across the…
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What is the role of urban robotics in an unpredictable world?
Rapid advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are making urban robotics an everyday reality. In this blog post we summarise the story of Starship robots in Milton Keynes (MK) to assess their contribution to the complementary mechanisms and institutions that supported the most vulnerable in MK during a challenging point of the Covid19 pandemic. We then…
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The impact of the built environment on climate change – and of climate change on the built environment
Why is the built environment important to climate change? We all live and work in buildings, and they provide us with shelter and warmth, belonging and protection. However the built environment is responsible for a huge 39% of all global carbon emissions, far higher than any other individual sector. This 39% can be divided into…
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Reviving Department Stores as Destination Spaces
The London Architecture Festival comes to an end this Wednesday after a month of diverse and fascinating events. With many being hosted online this year, this has afforded the opportunity to attend far more than would normally be possible. Elouise Huxor and I have been exploring some of the discussions around learning spaces, and in…
