PhD/MPhil - Student Profiles

Terry Irwin

Terry's research proposes that design is implicated in most of the 'wicked' problems confronting society in the 21st century. These problems are the result of our confusion between genuine needs vs. wants/desires and sustainable design must be design for the satisfaction of genuine human needs. A shift to a more holistic worldview will enable designers to understand and design for wicked problems.

Joanne Hodge

Full time PhD researcher since 2010
SUPERVISORS: Professor Mike Press and Hazel White UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE This Research is Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

Facilitating Communication over distances between Parent & Child through Interactive Textile Objects

Designer Jo Hodge is using toys and clothing to allow parents and children who are separated through work, illness or family breakdown to communicate online using simple, tactile objects. As part of a PhD funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Jo is exploring how we might usefully integrate ‘the internet of things’ into our lives without becoming overloaded by technology.

These products use QR codes and RFID tag technology to connect to internet based communication sites such as twitter, skype, flickr and blogs. This is an accessible way of opening up a communication portal for very young children or others who are not able to navigate technology in traditional ways, due to underdeveloped or diminished motor or cognitive skills. This is a design experiment that aims to understand and show the need and potential of customised and tailored communications, based on the individuals needs. The aim of this research is to establish a new mode of communication, utilising fashion and textile design methods and qualities as tools to develop emotive communication devices that will be differentiated from their product design counterparts through the methodology used. The relevance and value of these new communicators will be backed-up with evidence that they will aid emotive communication, through these new design methods.

Steven Birnie

16 November 2011

Title: ‘A study of the role of design with in a multi-national corporation.’ How can design be used in the context of global organizations in providing value driven Corporate Social Responsibility.

Approach: The research has been a practice led activity involving local and international community groups, charities and emerging markets.