Designing, Adapting and Selecting Tools for Creative Engagement: A Generative Framework

Increasingly public sector practitioners are turning to design to help them do more with less. This often takes the form of designing tools or resources that are used by public sector workers in their everyday practice. This paper critically examines the practice of tool design with the aspiration to improve creative engagement (that is, novel interactions that result in the creation of new knowledge or understanding in the public sector). We assert that designers should not be attempting to define what is a 'right' or 'wrong' way to use an engagement tool, but instead seek to enable new interpretations and adaptations of tools so the creativity of practitioners is supported and amplified. We present a proposal for a framework that supports people in organising the multitude of creative engagement tools in a manner that is meaningful to them rather than imposing taxonomies form the outside, enabling them to fix their own meanings, significance and use of the tools they use. To explore this we present 2 use cases, one by IRISS (a leader in innovation in the social services in Scotland) and a second by Leapfrog (a research project led by Lancaster University looking to transform public sector engagement by design).We believe this change in the terms of reference when thinking about the creation and use of tools has profound implications for designers working in the social services and wider pubic services sector.

What is it like to see a bat?

The article outlines the main strands of design research into means-based and end-based inquiry. It examines problems with design research on the appearances of objects which are qualitative and psychological. A tentative outline is made about the core of design and how designers approach aesthetic judgements during design. The distinction between intuitive design and process-based design is made before exploring a question posed by Hillier (1998) concerning design´s relation to processes and form. Finally, a case is made for an art-criticism approach to design research.

Different Approaches to Design Management - comparative study among Swedish and Polish furniture companies

There are many roles that design can play in organisations. It can be source of good marketing strategy, and designer by himself can be a promotional tool for a company. Thanks to those actions companies can gain publicity, media attention and good PR.On the second level, design can be perceived as ‘process of making things better’. In this case companies can achieve more effective product development process, new tools and technologies.On the third level we have the situation when designer work alongside with company managers with the whole business concept. At this level, designers’ work looks more like a brand consultant, a strategist. In this approach design should be reflecting certain brand name and brand values.As our study presented, Swedish companies operate on those two, higher levels, while Polish still limit the scope of design. We strongly believe, that Polish companies, as they gain more experience with design activities, will be more likely to perceive design in this more mature approach. In the meantime, presenting best practices from companies from other, more mature countries could be a good way of promoting design as a strategic asset rather than promotional tool. We believe that in order to fasten this process, Polish companies should as follows:1. Work more often with external and foreign designers;2. Expand the area of designer responsibilities in companies;3. Place the responsibility for design in hands of professional design managers.

Wisdom of the Crowd: How Participatory Design has evolved Design Briefing

This case example has discussed the significant and important role of the residents in determining a new all embracing vision for the Royds estates, that not only aims to reduce crime but to create a social and environmentally sustainable future for the residents. Firstly, the input of Stephen Town, Architectural Liaison Officer, has been considerable in terms of driving consultation and the engagement of residents; secondly, Tony Dylak, Director of Royds Housing Association, his vision and ability to listen and support the wishes of the residents has been immense. Combined, it is suggested that the design briefing stages was the catalyst for change and the mutual sharing of vision. The design briefing process provided a platform for all stakeholders to envision a future for the estates, providing a common ground for residents, the police, housing authorities and architects to meet, discuss and implement the wishes of everyone that embraces a crime-reduced future. Referring back to the central focus of this paper, the 5 key drivers for participatory engagement are clearly explicit within the case discussion. Firstly, the designer’s role within the initial briefing stages embraced a wider remit of responsibility. They carefully orchestrated a series of planned events to both appeal and entice the residents to the consultation ‘roadshows’. Secondly, with the opportunity to meaningfully participate and be an equal part of the consultation process, the residents responded wholeheartedly to expressing their requirements and ambitions to reinforce positive changes within the design and development process. As such, this then leads us to the issue of blurring boundaries between the various domains of knowledge, which traditionally remained distinctly separate and isolated. With the erosion of these perceived ‘boundaries’ by the residents, they actively engaged through all stages of the project duration, often contributing specialist knowledge and experiential understanding of complex design considerations.

Multiple perceptions as framing device for identifying relational places

We have presented an inquiry method in which citizens talk about their relationships to their built surrounding, raising problems, strengths, changes and dreams. It allows citizens to understand and describe their urban experiences and makes it easier for architects to recognize frameworks and rules inside the context in which they are asked to intervene.

Organizational sensemaking through enabling design services

It is argued that the focus of design is becoming increasingly intangible. At the same time as design consultants are expanding their offerings with new services aimed at enhancing innovation and the strategic process in client firms, studies indicate that industrial design consultancies have a problem getting commissioned and paid for the intangible parts of their service. One possible explanation is that design is regarded as providing a relieving service that delivers aesthetic competence at the end of a product development process. This indicates a problem in communicating the contribution of enabling design services to client firms.The aim of this paper is to increase the understanding of enabling design services. This is done by comparing the characteristics of design thinking, its methods and processes with sensemaking theory as described by Weick (1995).

Arguing for Design Thinking Interventions as a Form of Artistic Interventions

Drawing on data from two projects where artists used their artistic competence as organizational change facilitators, we argue for a theoretical coupling of the discourse(s) of design thinking to research streams within art-and-management. The artistic dimension of design, the practice perspective and the artistic process should be considered if we are to understand the full potential of design thinking for companies. This paper describes two artistic intervention projects that highlight valuable ways artists can contribute to organizational innovation and change. We begin with the theoretical frame of reference and a short methodological statement, followed by the empirical material. In the analysis section we point to ways in which such interventions are similar to ones led by designers when we consider the designer’s process as individualized and contextualized. Finally, we draw conclusions.

Roles of externalisation activities in the design process

Designers engage in various activities, dealing with different materials and media to externalise and represent their form ideas. This paper presents a review of design research literature regarding externalisation activities in design process: sketching, building physical models and digital modelling. The aim has been to review research on the roles of media and representations in design processes, and highlight knowledge gaps and questions for future research.

Rethinking textile fashion: New Materiality, Smart Products, and Upcycling

Manufacturing operations in much of textile fashion have migrated from the developed economies to developing countries in search of cost economies. Consideration for the natural environment has been lost in the process due to lack of clarity what corporation or some other participant in what kind of an economy is most responsible.This paper is intended as a thought piece on how new materialisms offers an approach to bring back responsible concern for the natural environment in textile fashion and, perhaps, beyond.

Unremarkable experiences - Designing the user experience of elevators

Elevators enable people and goods to be transported to great heights at substantial speeds.The feats required technologically for suspension, movement, controls and safety are no less than remarkable. This is increasingly so when considering the competing new heights of skyscrapers. Although technological accomplishments are becoming ever more extraordinary, for the sake of those using the technologies, there is also the need to counter this remarkableness and consider the unremarkable as an experiential design goal. Discourse in user experience (UX) has mainly focused on designing for positive, affective and memorable experiences. However, in the case of utilitarian technologies such as elevators often good or positive experiences go unnoticed. The current study’s findings show just this. This article describes a study of UX with elevators using field observations and short interviews. Positive experiences were reflected in quantitative opinion scales related to the elevators under study. Negative experiences regarding previous elevator experiences were qualitatively recollected without prompting. The age and the detail of the recollected experiences suggest the significance negative (remarkable) events have on memory, influencing current and future impressions of elevator design. This calls for UX attention to be placed on designing for the unremarkable.