Design and semantics of form and movement (DeSForM 2006)

Design and Semantics of Form and Movement (DeSForM) grew from applied research exploring emerging design methods and practices to support new generation product and interface design. The products and interfaces are concerned with: the context of ubiquitous computing and ambient technologies and the need for greater empathy in the pre-programmed behaviour of the ‘machines’ that populate our lives. Such explorative research in the CfDR has been led by Young, supported by Kyffin, Visiting Professor from Philips Design and sponsored by Philips Design over a period of four years (research funding £87k). DeSForM1 was the first of a series of three conferences that enable the presentation and debate of international work within this field: • 1st European conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement (DeSForM1), Baltic, Gateshead, 2005, Feijs L., Kyffin S. & Young R.A. eds. • 2nd European conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement (DeSForM2), Evoluon, Eindhoven, 2006, Feijs L., Kyffin S. & Young R.A. eds. • 3rd European conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement (DeSForM3), New Design School Building, Newcastle, 2007, Feijs L., Kyffin S. & Young R.A. eds. Philips sponsorship of practice-based enquiry led to research by three teams of research students over three years and on-going sponsorship of research through the Northumbria University Design and Innovation Laboratory (nuDIL). Young has been invited on the steering panel of the UK Thinking Digital Conference concerning the latest developments in digital and media technologies. Informed by this research is the work of PhD student Yukie Nakano who examines new technologies in relation to eco-design textiles

Beyond skin deep: exploring the contribution of communication design within interaction design projects

This research has explored potential ways for understanding the contribution communication design makes within the field of interaction design; specifically projects that have involved the design of web-based interactive systems. As a practice-based design investigation, this research has been conducted through a series of interaction design projects within the context of a Collaborative Research Centre, and have often included working with industry partners. I will refer to these as projects throughout this exegesis. In this exegesis, I will argue that communication design can make a valuable contribution to interaction design projects, and that this contribution can be facilitated by understanding interactive systems in terms of the role that they play in our everyday experience of the world. This exegesis presents the central argument of the research and how the research questions were investigated. It presents the projects through which the research has been conducted, and through discussion, presents the discoveries and knowledge gained through this research. The total submission for this research consists of the exegesis, exhibition, and oral presenation. Throughout each mode of delivery I will share how the research questions were investigated