Designing as Research
I'm currently researching how users can be involved in the generation of ideas (ideation) in innovative product development. Specifically I am investigating whether the observation and interpretation of users exploring unfamiliar scenarios, as expressed by artefacts, can support ideation. Particularly if those artefacts are of a more 'critical' nature. And if so, develop methods to utilise this.
In this work I'm particularly influenced by the idea of "critical design" as posited by Dunne & Raby (Dunne 1999, Dunne & Raby 2001) and how the act of designing can create new contexts for research (Rust 2004).
This research is funded by the AHRC via a PhD in Industrial Design at Sheffield Hallam University, UK.
Huh?
Confused and glazed expressions sometimes result from the more 'academic' descriptions of my work, so here's the gist of it in layperson's terms:
Could showing people some crazy things I've made help them discuss what they really need in a new gizmo? Particularly if that gizmo is to be used in a completely new situation?
Current Projects
Homes for Life
Together with colleagues at Sheffield Hallam University's Art & Design Research Centre, I am investigating how our homes could be made better places to live as we get older. Improving our quality of life and allowing us to live in our own homes for longer - 'homes for life'. This also forms one of the practical contexts for developing my user-centred ideation method.
This project is funded by SPARC.
Publications
BOWEN, S. J. (2007). Beyond "Uncritical" Design. Position paper for Sint-Lucas Research Training Sessions 2007, Hogeschool voor Wetenschap & Kunst Sint-Lucas, Brussels 14-16 June 2007.
Download full paper (52 Kb PDF file).
This short paper summarises some of the work presented in the EAD paper below.
BOWEN, S. J. (2007). Crazy Ideas or Creative Probes?: Presenting Critical Artefacts to Stakeholders to Develop Innovative Product Ideas. In: Proceedings of EAD07: Dancing with Disorder: Design, Discourse & Disaster, Izmir, Turkey.
Download full paper (582 Kb PDF file).
CHAMBERLAIN, P. J. and BOWEN, S. J. (2006). Designers' use of the artefact in human-centred design. In: CLARKSON, John, LANGDON, Patrick and ROBINSON, Peter (eds.). Designing accessible technology. 1st ed., Springer, 65-74.
Download full paper (132 Kb PDF file).
Previous Work
MA in Industrial Design
I began exploring my current research themes during my MA, whose project title was Identifying User-driven Product Opportunities for New Technologies: Family Photograph Collections. The online version of my MA graduating exhibition has further details, also see my design portfolio for examples of the conceptual designs produced.
DUNNE, Anthony (1999). Hertzian tales - electronic products, aesthetic experience and critical design.
DUNNE, Anthony and RABY, Fiona (2001). Design noir: The secret life of electronic objects. 1st ed., Birkhäuser.
RUST, Chris (2004). Design enquiry: Tacit knowledge and invention in science. Design issues, 20 (4), 76-85.