ABSTRACTS OF ORAL PRESENTATIONS

    DEMOCRATISING DESIGN: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING FOR ALL - EMMA DE COCKER

    "Design appears ubiquitously—product design, web design, service design, fashion design—it is a term embraced by all. In your everyday work you may have to design a spacecraft, an interactive tool to allow your team to work together on the spacecraft or the public event where you will present your work on the spacecraft design. To give another example, I am currently working on the (re)design of the sci.esa.int pages.

    So what is design? Attempting to pinpoint a definitive definition to such a versatile concept would be inconclusive. What remains open to discussion, however, is the design process. While dependent on team dynamics and available resources, the mindset designers adopt when approaching challenges, and the methodologies and tools they employ to develop solutions tend to align within a general pattern.

    In this interactive talk, we will systematically dive into a typical design process illustrated by a simple but realistic use case. Together we will adopt the creative problem-solving mindset of designers. We will explore how gaining empathy involves not only understanding but actively involving all stakeholders in a co-creation journey. We will also demonstrate the delicate balance between applying established methodologies and following one’s own intuition and expertise. Finally, the exercise will depict the iterative and flexible nature of the design process, emphasising on the importance of systematic reflection at each stage."

     

     

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