A blog about design at the OU.
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Reflecting on the Annual Design Show
Back in July, I got to be part of something I had only really heard about before joining the OU, the Annual Design Show. Funnily enough, the show was also one of the first things I attended when I started here last year, before I had properly found my feet or even met most of…
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OU Design Club – don’t wait, join now.
by Lily, an OU Design student Distance learning is great. It opens up so many opportunities. It allows you to study on your own terms and time. But at the same time distance learning can be strange. You log in. You study. You log out. Days blur together. You might be surrounded by people online…
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Are you ready to study design?
We have a new Are you Ready to Study Design? site. This brings together some of the most frequently asked questions about design at the OU and it tries to give students a bit more of a feel for what it’s like to study design at a distance at the OU. I think this is…
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Design education in its teenage years: reflections from DRS2026 Edinburgh
In June 2026, Edinburgh hosted the largest ever Design Research Society (DRS) Conference. I was struck by both the scale and the energy of the conversations taking place. As one of the track chairs for the Design Education research stream, alongside Ricardo Sosa (New Zealand) and Violeta Clemente (Portugal), I had the opportunity to engage…
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An illuminating adventure in the history of design
I first joined the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) when I was pregnant with my eldest child. As I headed out on maternity leave, I was keen to ensure I had a network and source of information for support as I navigated a career break and beyond. For much of the intervening time, I have been…
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The OU Sustainathon: Collaboration, Creativity and Climate Action
Last month, The Open University proudly hosted its second Sustainathon. The extracurricular event was an exciting, week-long online initiative in which STEM student teams tackled real-world sustainability challenges posed by third-sector organisations. This year, we were thrilled to collaborate with the National Trust (NT) and West London Waste Authority (WLWA), both of which are part…
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Mahsa Bagheri: my journey in design
I am a new PhD student in the Design Group at the Open University. Every design research student has a unique journey, and I want to share mine in this blog. My life has four main sides that all influence one another, leading me to where I am today. Art Let’s start with art, which…
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Designing for the Senses
Think for a moment about the last station or airport you travelled through. What did it sound like? Was there a constant hum of announcements? A screeching train? Rolling suitcases? People rushing past? Are you tuning anything out? What could you see? Consistent use of colour and organised signage, or disjointed and overwhelming visual cues?…
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Why Design Activism Matters
Design is often associated with making things better. Whether creating products, services, systems, or experiences, designers are typically tasked with solving problems and improving people’s lives. However, while societies confront increasingly complex challenges, spanning from climate change and social inequality to digital exclusion and political polarisation, many designers are questioning whether improvement alone is enough.…
