Seminar 0

UMTS Seminar 0 - Workshop tour and intro to a theory of experiments 
August 24, 2012

The first next activity within the UMTS prject group was an informal workshop tour. The team members visited the textile and Superformlab workshops. These are involved in the Experiment 1: Kinetic Textiles and Experiment 2: Sensitive Ceramics. Approaches, methods and materials used and research output were presented.

The tour was concluded by an intro and discussion on the topic of experiments in design research by the project member Thomas Binder.

Speakers
Thomas Binder is associate Professor at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation, and holds a Ph.D. in Science and Technology Studies. He is part of the co-design research cluster engaging open design collaborations and participatory design in the context of design anthropology, interaction design and social innovation. His research includes contributions to methods and tools for experimental design research and open innovation processes with a particular emphasis on participation and learning.

He has been contributing to several books such as Social Thinking – Software practice (MIT press, 2002), (Re-) searching the Digital Bauhaus’ (Springer 2008), Rehearsing the Future (Danish Design School Press, 2010), Design Research through Practice (Morgan Kaufman, 2011) and Design Things (MIT press, 2011) and has been chairing the Participatory Design Conference in 2002 and the Nordic Design Research Conference in 2005.

Schedule of the Day
9.00 meeting at the Textile workshop of the School of Design – Intro to facility and its focus (Malene, Mary-Ann)
9.30 setoff on bikes to the Superformlab/Refshaløen
9.45 Superformlab - Intro to facility and its focus (Flemming)
10.30 Intro to experimental practice in Design and Research (Thomas Binder)
11.00 reflection and Discussion by participants
11.30 expected end