Research in the Making
- reassessing craft, design and production synergies
Professor Martin Woolley (Associate Dean-Applied Research)
School of Art and Design, Coventry University, UK
Monday 28th March 2011 14.00-15.30
Lecture Room 885, Aalto University School of Art and Design
The presentation explores the current and future relationship between craft, design and production, in the light of emerging technological, cultural and economic factors. It suggests that the traditional targets for design research tend to be ‘reactive’ and whilst usefully focussing on designing, methods and practice-based research, tend to exclude a more ‘proactive’ agenda which might directly drive the professional practice of design in new directions. The presentation envisages an extension of the designer/maker paradigm to address the ‘designer-producer’, in which the design process is conflated with micro-production, facilitating new design practice paradigms, outcomes and ambitions.
Professor Martin Woolley is currently Associate Dean of Research, Coventry School of Art and Design, UK. He has previously played a similar role as Director of Research at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London and as Head of Department of Design at Goldsmiths College London. With an early background in industrial design, his research interests have broadened to encompass sustainability, crafts, technology transfer and user-centred design. He has supervised and examined numerous research degrees and been active on several national research bodies. He has also been Principle Investigator for a range of major funded research projects and previously directed the HEFCE-funded ‘Demi Project, which established extensive web-based sustainable design resources for UK Universities. He was the academic consultant to the Design Council’s web-based, ‘Knowledge Cell’ project and PI on the EU funded ‘Agora – Cities for People’ project, which explored pedestrian cultural journeys through European Cities. And most recently was PI on the ‘Emotional Wardrobe’ project, which addressed social communication through smart textile design.
For further information please contact Haian Xue (haian.xue@aalto.fi)
Photos by Haian Xue
