Centre
Design Research Centre
Unit(s) of assessment: Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory; Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management
School: School of Art & Design
Overview
The Design Research Centre is a broad interdisciplinary group of design researchers and practitioners operating across the University, driven by an aim to foster new approaches to design thinking, design enquiry, design implementation and the use of design techniques and related technologies at the highest level.
The Design Research Centre is world leading in its approach to design research and practice, bringing about beneficial societal, economic and environmental impacts. It operates in the areas of Product, Furniture, Medical, Retail, Consumer, Engineering, Environmental, Graphic, Media, User Interaction and User Experience design.
An overarching function of the Centres at NTU is to help foster a dynamic research environment relevant to staff, whether they are on the Teaching and Scholarship (T&S), Teaching and Practice (T&P) and Teaching and Research (T&R) pathways. The Centre encourages an interplay between practice and theory within a research context and as such supports all staff with their research interests. This includes support and mentoring for T&S and T&S development staff to migrate to T&R or T&P pathways, and assisting in the production of quality research outputs from staff on T&R and T&P pathways.
Building on the fundamental nature of design to enable, collaboration is at the heart of the centre’s operational ethos, reaching out to other Schools and research centre across NTU and other research institutions nationally and internationally.
The Centre supports the development of research and practice based on creative inquiry and innovation, and will collaborate with other School research centres to:
- Organise forums that inform pedagogy
- Organise forums for the dissemination of best practice in terms of all aspects of research and practice activities
- Provide structured mentoring for all staff, in all aspects of research and practice-based activities
- Organise forums to support funding and funding applications and processes
- Organise symposia for presenting and disseminating our research and practice outcomes internally, nationally and internationally
- Provide a focal point for internal, national and international collaborations
- Co-ordinate all media that promotes the activities of the group of research centres
- Provide a focal point for PhD recruitment
- Provide a framework that encourages dialogue and collaboration between staff and our higher degree students
This Centre makes a significant contribution to research within the School and to the development of PhD students.
The group, through the email contact below is happy to receive email enquiries from prospective students and researchers wishing to undertake research in the aforementioned areas, as well as those mentioned under individual research staff.
For all enquiries please contact the Research Centre Leader, Professor Peter Ford.
PhD Studentships
We’re offering fully-funded PhD studentships aligned with our research centres for UK, EU or International students. Find out more about our PhD studentships.
Collaboration
Explore some examples of the Design Research Centre's collaborations:
Newcastle University (NSW) - Fast Lab
Beijing Institute of Technology
Publications
Below you will find a selection of publications from the Design Research Centre:
Professor P Ford:
Using 100% Recycled ABS
NPD, Design and Management for SME’s
Professor Daihzong Su:
Advanced Integrated Manufacture by Application of Sustainable Technology through Product Lifecycle: a Circular Economy Approach
Integration of eco-design tools into the development of eco-lighting products
Professor Phil Breedon:
Ground Breaking Spinal Surgery Robot
Patient Maintained Propofol Sedation System
Professor Tim Cooper:
Managing sustainability in the fashion business
The Development of Responsible and Sustainable Business Practice
Professor Jake Kaner:
Capturing characteristics of the conceptual ideation process
Image management systems: a model for archiving Stoke-on-Trent's post-industrial heritage
Dr Marco Bohr:
The Evolution of the Image: Political Action and the Digital Self
No Man’s Zone: The Essay Film in the Aftermath of the Tsunami in Japan
Dr Daniel Shin:
Three Dimensions of Design for Sustainable Behaviour
Design for sustainable behaviour: a case study of using human-power as an everyday energy source
Dr Iryna Kuksa:
Design for Personalisation
Making Sense of Space
Dr David Downes:
Combined X-ray Diffraction and Absorption Tomography
Confocal energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction tomography
Dr Sarah McConnell:
Illustration in Motion
Creating the Illusion of Movement
Mr James Meadwell:
In Search of a Performing Seal
Related Groups and Centres
Find out more about the Design Research Centre's current groups and projects:
Medical Technology Innovation Facility