Steve attending Prototype: Craft in the Future Tense

Twelve inspiring speakers from across the globe will explore the innovative ways they are using prototypes, including the Turner Prize winning artist, Simon Starling; the NASA space architect, Constance Adams; international business guru Michael Schrage and, interactive jeweller, Hazel White.

Steve will be attending the event as an industry expert. Prototype is being co convened by the Victoria & Albert Museum and Duncan at Jordanson College of Art & Design. It is being held on 10-11 June 2010.

Steve representing PAIPR at Design Industry and University Partnership event

Steve will be representing PAIPR at a joint British Design Innovation (BDI) and University for the Creative Arts (UCA) event. The event brings together a select number of Deans from leading Science, Engineering & Design Universities and directors of the UK’s (world’s) leading industrial and service design & Innovation firms to a pioneering inaugural meeting on February 26th, 2pm to 7pm held at the Design Council, 34 Bow Street, London WC2. Places were awarded on a competitive basis and PAIPR are delighted to be represented.

Gareth accepted for £3m TSB Plastic Electronics Demonstrators Workshop

Gareth will be representing PAIPR at the Technology Strategy Board’s three day workshop in March. The workshop aims to get Designers and Technology Specialists in plastic electronics together to dream up ideas for new products, services and experiences that could be created using the unique properties of plastic electronics. Gareth was one of only 28 experts in the UK chosen from among the applicants to take part in the workshop.

Recruiting for Trial of Prototyping Tool

I am currently conducting a major piece of research towards my PhD and am looking for practising Industrial Designers who have experience of working on interactive products to take part.  The study aims to evaluate an experimental prototyping tool kit that I have developed to allow rapid low-fidelity interactive prototyping.  If you are interested in finding out more please get in touch by emailing me on ian.culverhouse@googlemail.com

Design Thinking from IDEO

This is an interesting article on the high level design process used by IDEO, do design all things including services, not only products:

Practically speaking, the approach isn’t complicated. In stages, it goes like this: firstly, immersion, whereby the designers research the problem by plunging themselves into it – talking to the people they’re trying to help, working with them, interviewing experts. Secondly, synthesis – whereby they gather together their findings and look for patterns. Third, ideation – brainstorming solutions to the real problems identified by stage two. Then comes prototyping, making mock-ups of solutions to try out against the problem. After that comes the product. Only at the end, at the prototyping stage, are judgments made; until then, all ideas are given equal weight.

http://www.wired.co.uk/wired-magazine/archive/2009/12/features/reinventing-british-manners,-the-post-it-way.aspx