Opportunities

DRS Town Hall Meetings

The DRS Executive Board is hosting Town Hall meetings in early 2021. Each meeting will explore a core topic for the DRS: PhD research, future conferences, design research leadership, publishing, and DRS Special Interest Groups (SIGs). The Town Halls are an opportunity to get to know the new DRS leadership, meet other members, and get involved with the Society. You might also boost your design research know-how in the process! All events are free and also open to non-members, but registration is required.

Upcoming Town Hall Meetings:

Special Interest Groups of the DRS: A User Guide
30 April, 12:00-14:00 (UK Time)

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Fostering Worldwide International Collaborations
21st May, 15:00-17:00 (UK Time)

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Previous Town Hall Meetings:

Next Generations: Connecting the DRS PhD Research Community 
14 January 
Further Information

Designing DRS Conferences of the Future
28 January
Further Information

Developing a Design Research Leadership Pipeline
11 February
Further Information

Publishing Design Research within the Society and Beyond
26 February
Further Information

It's Always 5 O'Clock Somewhere: International DRS Virtual Coffee Break
29 March, multiple time zones
Further Information

DRS SIGs have been busy planning and hosting events, despite this unusual and rather chaotic academic year. There are lots of ways to engage with Global Health SIG (GHSIG), Pluriversal Design SIG (PluriSIG) and Design Pedagogy SIG (PedSIG) and participate in design research activities.

GHSIG has been developing a crowdsourced repository of COVID-19 Public Health messages and information set by official national, regional and international bodies. This will be a source of information that researchers, public health authorities and policy makers can access and forward to communities around the world. The team is also analysing the data for a multinational and multicultural visual and language communication analysis of COVID-19 public health messages. They've started the analysis and expect to develop guidelines and a white paper on best practices. You can view the repository here.

GHSIG also has a call for abstracts for a Little book on Global Health: Special Edition on COVID-19. They’re looking for proposals for short case studies on health and wellbeing—the deadline is coming soon on 15th October. The book will be published in 2021 and will also include outcomes from the GHSIG Conversation at  DRS2020.

As for PluriSIG, they’ve been running a bimonthly book club that reviewed and discussed Escobar’s Designs for the Pluriverse: Radical Interdependence, Autonomy and the Making of Worlds and Santos’ Epistemologies of the South: Justice Against Epistemicide in September. The selections for October are Pluriverse: A Post-development Dictionary (16 Oct) and Pedagogy of the Oppressed (30 Oct). Visit Eventbrite to view the schedule or register.

Finally, PedSIG has been buzzing with activities including bimonthly Distance Design Education Meetups and a discussion on the Futures of Design Education planned for 29 October. PedSIG is also organising their next biennial conference Learn X Design 2021, which will be hosted by Shandong University of Art & Design in September 2021. Full paper, workshop and case study submissions are due in March.

Check out the DRS Events Calendar for a list of more design research events and add your event by contacting editor@designresearchsociety.org 

The DRS is also looking to expand the SIG program. Contact admin@designresearchsociety.org to learn more.

Participate in the UK Research Excellence Framework

There's a call for participation in the UK Research Excellence Framework ( REF). REF is an initiative by UK funding bodies to evaluate research quality in higher education institutions. It involves expert review in 34 subject areas, evaluating things like the quality of outputs and research impact. The initiative provides accountability for research investments and informs the allocation of new funding in the UK.

There are open positions on expert review panels including sub-panel 32—Art & Design: History Theory and Practice. The Art & Design group needs panel members and impact assessors. More details about these roles are available here. The website notes that the “sub-panel particularly welcomes nominations of candidates from the following under-represented groups: people from BME backgrounds; institutions/organisations in Wales.”

The DRS is an authorised nominating body for REF and is accepting applications until Monday 24 August. Interested participants can contact DRS Administrator Linda Anderson (admin@designresearchsociety.org) for more details and a nomination form. All self-nominations will be reviewed before submission to REF.

DRS Affiliation with the College Art Association

The DRS recently joined the College Art Association (CAA) as an affiliated society. The CAA is an international art and design association based in the USA. They hold an annual conference in addition to other work including professional development support and advocacy.

The CAA has opportunities to get involved in their association. They’re inviting nominations and self-nominations to serve on award juries. There are multiple positions for jury members for awards of distinction, publication grants, fellowships and travel grants. Nominations close at the end of the month on 31 July.

The CAA also has open seats for committee members on topics including design, women in the arts and education. The CAA Professional Committees work on topics of special concern for the association and serve 3-year terms. Self-nominations are due 31 August.

Contact DRS Administrator Linda Anderson (admin@designresearchsociety.org) for more information about DRS affiliations.

DRS Student Research Bursary Winners 2019

We received 30 DRS Student Research Bursary applications this year—a record number! These bursary awards provide funds to carry out a research project. This includes data collection, equipment purchase and prototyping, but not normally conference travel or fees. Two DRS Council members reviewed each submission based on quality, value for money and impact. Bursary coordinator Robin Roy conducted a final review of high-scoring applications. This resulted in five full awards of 500 GBP and four awards of 250 GBP. Offering full and smaller awards enabled us to issue nine bursaries, instead of the seven we budgeted for.

The bursary winners were Pushpi Bagchi, Britta Boyer, Tung Dao, María José Izzo, Alessandra Peppi, Viola Petrella, Valentina Marques da Rosa,  Virginie Tessier and Florencia Varas. The winners are based in Chile, Brazil, Canada and the UK. Their research topics are broad and include a comparative project on transnational education in the UK and Shri Lanka (Bagchi); collaboration with UK-based companies to increase product life (Dao); hospital design to reduce distress for children undergoing cancer treatment (Marques da Rosa); and assessment guidelines for student designers learning to work collaboratively (Tessier).

Author

Robin Roy, DRS Student Research Bursary Coordinator

Design Research and the COVID-19 Response (Updated)

The DRS has received questions about how design researchers can get involved in the COVID-19 response. Here’s a list of initiatives associated with the DRS and some compelling projects in the broader design research community.

PedSIG is doing great work with their Distance Design Education platform. They've been sharing articles and recipes for distance learning in design and have hosted 4 meetups on special topics. PedSIG is looking for new content, meetup hosts and ideas. You can contact PedSIG Convenor Derek Jones derek.jones@open.ac.uk to get involved. 

InclusiveSIG Convenor Hua Dong shared a link to a COVID-19 resource matching platform where she is a volunteer. The platform includes links to PPE 3D printing groups and calls for donations at hospitals across the UK.

The Global Health SIG has shared a list of public health bodies and their websites. The list includes official organisations at international, national, and regional levels. It’s available as a Google Document and the SIG is encouraging visitors to add to the list.

Beyond the DRS, the Strategic Design Research Journal is planning a special issue on design contributions for the COVID-19 global emergency. The issue will gather and map COVID-19 responses and build an understanding of the role of design during global emergencies. Full paper submissions are due 15^th July on the journal website.

The Design for Emergency platform is a great initiative organised by Sara Colombo and Paolo Ciuccarelli. These Northeastern University researchers are conducting surveys about COVID-19 experiences and have prepared data visualisations with the initial results. The platform is also hosting an open design challenge in response to survey results.

New addition: The Emergency Design Collective brings together doctors, designers and design researchers and has partners including IDEO, Frog and Stanford d.school. The group offers design suggestions for healthcare and life at home during COVID-19. They're looking for volunteers, partners and donations to support their work.

Contact the DRS Online Editor Isabel Prochner editor@designresearchsociety.org to share your COVID-19 project with Society members.

We hope you’re staying safe during these difficult times! 

DRS Elections 2020: Call for Nominations

We are pleased to announce that nominations to stand for the first International Advisory Council (IAC) of the DRS are now open. The DRS seeks 18 ambitious design researchers to form the new IAC and contribute to creating a truly international and inclusive Society to progress the field of design research. We encourage DRS Members from all parts of the world to consider standing for election, particularly those with a vision about how design research should develop, and awareness of the Society’s ambitions.

The benefits of serving on the IAC include:

• Influencing the field of Design Research;
• Being part of a network of design research leaders;
• Access to financial support to progress initiatives;
• Entitlement to stand for a role on the Executive Board;
• Career development that enhances your CV.

Nominations must be submitted by 5 pm BST on Thursday 9 April. Further details about the 2020 DRS Elections and the nomination process are available here.

Equal Opportunities

The DRS celebrates and supports diversity for the benefit of our members, our services, and our community. The DRS is proud to promote equal opportunities in all the activities that it organizes and supports.

The Design Research Society welcomes expressions of interest to host the 2022 International Design Research Society Conference. The DRS Biennial Conference is a major international event in the global design research calendar with a reputation for academic quality, provocative thinking and industry engagement. Over a 4-day period Biennial Conferences embrace refereed paper presentations, conversations, debates, a doctoral programme, labs, and workshops for over 500 participants.

As well as promoting the discipline of design research within hosting countries, holding the DRS Conference can significantly increase the international profile of the host institution.

For DRS2022 we are particularly interested in proposals with blended conference innovations that integrate online with local delegate experience to support new forms of sustainable participation.

This is a worldwide call for expressions of interest. Recent conferences have taken place in Montreal (Canada), Bangkok (Thailand), Umea (Sweden), Brighton (UK), Limerick (Ireland) with the 2020 Conference taking place in Brisbane, Australia in August. In selecting a venue for 2022, the DRS Council will be mindful of the need for a location that is accessible for our international membership. Further details of previous conferences can be found at: www.designresearchsociety.org/cpages/conferences

Expressions of Interest should be no more than 2000 words and cover the following areas:

• Overall Vision for the Conference
  (including: suggested title and theme, any proposed innovations)
• Host Institution
  (including: evidence of institutional commitment and support, department(s) and key people involved)
• Proposed Conference Venue
  (including: quality and capacity of plenary and session spaces)
• Features of the Location
  (including: travel and accommodation, food and entertainment, cultural life)
• Conference Team
  (including: local chair and primary contact, experience of managing similar events, relationship with the DRS, finance and management) 
• Proposed dates
  (our preference is for the conference to take place in late June 2022 but an exception can be made if sufficiently justified)
• Financial Information
  (indicative budget for 500 participants including: proposed registration fees, cost of venues, catering, events, management and personnel, website and marketing, and sponsorship)

Financial Arrangements

All DRS Conferences to date have returned a surplus. The DRS requires that conferences break even at 80% (400 participants) of minimum registration fees and that conferences are underwritten by the host institution against any loss. A fee equivalent to 7.5% of total registration fees will be charged, a proportion of which will allow the DRS to support the host institution through the conference organization.

A Memorandum of Understanding detailing key responsibilities and financial agreements will be signed by both parties prior to any award and announcement for hosting.

Application and Timeline

Interested parties should submit their Expression of Interest to the DRS Administrator (admin@designresearchsociety.org) by the deadline of 15^th February 2020.

Expressions of Interest will be considered at a DRS Council meeting soon after this date. Following this meeting the leading contenders will be invited to provide more detailed information and asked to present their vision for the conference to the DRS Council meeting in April 2020.  After signing a Memorandum of Agreement, the successful host will be invited to attend the 2020 conference in August and present their conference vision at the closing ceremony.

Further Details

Should you have any further questions or seek clarification on any aspect of a proposal please contact DRS Advisory Council Member, Professor Martyn Evans (martyn.evans@mmu.ac.uk), for an informal discussion. A copy of the Biennial Conference Guidelines are available on request, along with a budgeting toolkit. Further information about the Design Research Society can be found at: www.designresearchsociety.org

About the DRS

The Design Research Society is a learned society committed to promoting and developing design research. Founded in 1966, it is the longest established, multi-disciplinary worldwide society for the design research community. We draw together a community from around the world in all areas of design research.

DRS Student Research Bursary Winners 2018

The DRS Student Research Bursary Awards support design research projects by DRS Student Members. In 2018, the DRS awarded seven bursaries of 500 GBP, which supported a range of projects from students working in the UK, France, Chile and China. A DRS Council panel selected the winners based on project quality, value for money and project impact.

The following are three winning projects from 2018.

Multi-Sensory Interface, Learning the Basics of Trigonometry

Maria Elena Errázuriz, School of Design, Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile

The goal of this project was to build a device to enhance student learning of trigonometry. It involved designing a Tangible User Interface (TUI) that helped students learn through their senses (see photo above and check out this video). The Bursary Award helped fund prototype construction and Maria Elena's travels to the Seminario de Investigación en Diseño where the project was presented.

Neurophysiological Correlates of Cognitive Design Behaviours

Julie Milovanovic, Graduate School of Architecture Nantes, France

Julie's project explored design learning cognitive patterns in studio environments. She used EEG tracking to study brain activities while designing (see image below). The DRS Bursary Award helped fund a trip to the Depict Lab in Sweden, where Julie explored neuro-cognitive design science and conducted a pre-test for her project. 

Crisis|Wellbeing in the Emergency Department

William Wang, Royal College of Art, UK

This project explored the mental health patient journey in the Emergency Department of Charing Cross Hospital, London. William collaborated on the redesign of a high-risk mental health patient room (see image below). The Bursary Award funded production of research and collaboration tools like a card deck and 3D model.

 Above left: Eye-tracking data and emotions during building design, Julie Milovanovic | Above right: New patient room, William Wang

The 2019 DRS Bursary Award deadline is 23 September. Visit the Bursary webpage for more information, to download the application form and to see project reports from previous winners.

Author

Robin Roy, DRS Student Research Bursaries Coordinator

The Journal of Design Thinking and its First Call for Submissions

There is a growing list of great new design research journals, with She Ji and Sciences du Design (est. 2015) as prime examples. The most recent addition is the Journal of Design Thinking (JDT), dedicated to academic study of design thinking, creativity and cognition, as well as the broader topic of industrial design. Dr. Yassaman Khodadadeh, Editor-in-Chief of JDT, kindly spoke with us about her vision for this new journal. Khodadadeh is an Associate Professor of Design at the University of Tehran – and was, in fact, the first person to hold this faculty position in Iran!

Top Left: University of Tehran during a workshop with TU Delft | Top Right: Dr. Yassaman Khodadadeh

What are your hopes for JDT?

The goal is to provide a valuable publication space for researchers worldwide and provide a possibility for exchange of ideas.

How does JDT compare to other journals, locally and globally?

The JDT is the first International specialized design research journal based in Iran. However, it aims to contribute to high quality design research at international and national levels.

With these impressive goals in mind, Khodadadeh and the JDT editorial board have announced the call for papers for their first issue:

In preparation for the first issue of the Journal of Design Thinking, we invite submissions on design thinking, design practice, the relationships between design theory and practice, reflective practice and conceptualization challenges. Please submit a paper title, abstract (max. 300 words) and author bio by February 20, 2019. Submissions must be sent by email to Alma Zanjanian, JDT Executive Director, at jdt@ut.ac.ir.

We will evaluate abstracts through blind review and invite authors of accepted abstracts to submit a manuscript at a later date.

Call for Conference Reports

The DRS Online promotes design research community activities. We post news about DRS-related activities and our pick of design research headlines from around the world. We also maintain an international Events Calendar and Jobs & Opportunities Board.

We want you to get involved! We’re looking for reports from major design research conferences and events around the world. This opportunity is open for conference attendees or organisers, writing about an event that happened within the last 2 months.

Reports should be:

• Short – Up to 400 words
• Informative – Introduce the conference, sub-field, organisers, venue, etc.
• Critical – Take a position and explain what was exciting, new, challenging, etc.
• Visual – Include several high-quality images that you have permission to use
• Easy to read – Write in a clear, relaxed academic tone
• Original – New content, developed just for the DRS Online

If you’re interested, submit a brief proposal though our online form. The DRS Communications Team will review your proposal and then reach-out with news and feedback. We offer 40 GBP for accepted conference reports. 

Visit our Contact page for information about posting other news, events, conference calls, jobs or opportunities on our website.

The Latin American Design Meeting: A Space for Regional Conversations and Networking in Design

The Latin American Design Meeting is a popular and important event for Latin American design and design research communities. It’s a free annual event hosted by the Universidad de Palermo in Buenos Aires, Argentina that attracts approximately 400 presenters and 5000 visitors each year.

Violeta Szeps, general coordinator of the meetings, explained that the event focuses on “everything that matters to designers.” This includes design thinking and new digital technologies, as well as regionally specific topics like Latin American craft traditions and business and economics for local designers. It also takes place in parallel to other events including a design education conference that attracts design educators and researchers from across the region.

These annual meetings play an important role by creating new networks and fostering local design collaborations. They also support Latin American design communities by encouraging entrepreneurship and providing a space for local conversations, taking place in Spanish and Portuguese.

Although a regional design meeting, designers and design researchers from around the world are encouraged to attend. This year’s event takes place from July 30-August 3, 2018. You can see publications from past meetings online at http://fido.palermo.edu/servicios_dyc/encuentro2008/05_publicaciones/publicaciones_encuentro.html