Author: Nicole Lotz
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Neurodiversity and design: This world is not designed by, with or for me
Mel Green writes poignantly on OpenLearn that neurodiversity refers to the natural diversity of human minds. Brains and patterns of neurocognition vary among all individuals. These variations are normal and valuable, and they should be recognised and respected in the same way as any other human variation. Current estimates suggest that between fifteen and twenty…
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From traffic to teaching: Lessons on informal designs from Nigeria
On my way to Nigeria, I read an article in Wallpaper* magazine (October 2025) about ‘informal designs’ in Nigeria. This felt like a coincidence because I was travelling to Lagos to give a keynote address at the 4th International Colloquium of the Distance Learning Institute at the University of Lagos. The audience included more than…
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Designing communities for belonging
For years, I’ve been exploring ways to design with and for communities at the Open University (OU). A recent event showcasing student community projects highlighted a growing interest among staff and students in building and supporting these initiatives. Being part of a community or communities instils a sense of belonging. Belonging, a sense of connectedness…
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Nigel Cross on Design Thinking
A is for Architecture, a podcast series run by Ambrose Gillick of Kent University, invited Nigel Cross, a renowned expert in design thinking, to discuss his research. Cross is an Emeritus Professor at the Open University (OU) and a pioneer in distance design education. He has significantly influenced the field through his work as the…
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Shaping inclusive futures with your design career
Are you a design student embarking on a new journey? Wondering where your skills can take you and the impact you can make? In this blog post, I explore design careers with a focus on inclusive futures. I’ll start by summarising the insights from a Careers and Employability Service event at OU in March 2024, featuring a diverse panel of designers,…
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A Student’s Perspective: Belonging in the Digital Age – Teaching and Learning Conference 2024
A guest article by Cindy Darbandi As a recent Design graduate from the OU’s School of Engineering and Innovation, I had the incredible opportunity to participate as a student speaker at the Advance HE Annual Teaching and Learning conference in Nottingham this July (2nd-4th). The theme resonated deeply: redefining higher education through new learning…
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Designing for the future of mobility: A Day at Coventry Museum of Transport
In an era dominated by remote work, the significance of in-person collaborative design events cannot be overstated. While our students study design at a distance, the occasional face-to-face gathering remains crucial for boosting morale and fostering a sense of community that can be challenging to achieve remotely. Amidst the constraints imposed by the pandemic, opportunities…
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Where is the user choice in automated re-booking systems?
In our Design modules, we often ask our students to take a user trip, to experience the issues a user may face. Over the weekend, I took an involuntary user trip. I focused my anger and frustrations into an opportunity to reflect how automated flight rebooking systems make the user feel and what design oportunities…
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The inclusive design studio
I have been fortunate to experience diverse studio-based education approaches in different parts of the world and in different modes (hybrid, virtual, community-based, etc.). I position myself as a design education scholar with a particular interest in diversity and the socio-cultural contexts of designing. As a Senior Lecturer in Design at the Open University, I design online studios and…
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Walking the memory lane to gain design inspirations
Design education at the OU encourages students to draw inspiration from everyday experiences. I learned this week that revisiting the history of your lived experiences is also an excellent source for design inspiration. I grew up in Magdeburg in former East Germany, in a newly build neighbourhood in the 1980’s. In 2022, I returned to…