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Design Research Centre

Design Research Centre

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 Group Leader, Professor Peter Ford.

Related Staff

  • Centre Staff

    Prof Peter Ford
    Prof Jake Kaner
    Prof Tom Fisher
    Dr David Downes
    Dr Carol Adlam
    Dr Sarah McConnell
    Dr Iryna Kuksa
    Mr James Meadwell
    Mr David Terris
    Mr Tim Rundell

  • Associate Members

    Prof Tim Cooper
    Prof Phil Breedon
    Prof Daihzong Su
    Dr Daniel Shin
    Dr Matthew Watkins

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.

Still need help?

+44 (0)115 941 8418