The Design Interactions programme explores new roles, contexts and approaches for interaction design in relation to the social, cultural and ethical impact of existing and emerging technologies.
Projects, which are often speculative and critical, aim to inspire debate about the human consequences of different technological futures – both positive and negative. Students work closely with people outside the College, designing for the complex, troubled people we are, rather than the easily satisfied consumers and users we are supposed to be. Project outcomes are expressed through a variety of media including prototypes, performance, video and photography.
Graduates go on to work for multinational corporations, design consultancies, academic and industrial research labs, and increasingly, to set up their own design studios.
Design Interactions offers:
a multidisciplinary environment: students have backgrounds in interaction design, digital media, fine art, product, graphic and furniture design, architecture, life sciences, biotech, social sciences, computer science, etc.
regular invitations to curate and exhibit student work in international museums, galleries and festivals
world-leading design-led research, which attracts funding from industry, UK research councils and the EU
opportunities for industry collaborations with companies such as Intel, Microsoft Research Labs, Philips Design, and Vodafone
access to a network of world-leading experts and scientists working in nanotechnology, synthetic biology, robotics and neuroscience
teachers who are leading practitioners.
Professor Anthony Dunne
Senior Tutor
Noam Toran
Reader in Design Interactions
Fiona Raby
Tutors
James Auger; Nina Pope
Electronics Tutor
Tom Hulbert
Software Tutor
David Muth
Visiting Tutors
David Benqué
Elio Caccavale
Matt Jones
Tobie Kerridge
Onkar Kular
Microsoft Research Fellow
Laurel Swan
Studiolab Research Associate
David Benqué
Visiting Professor
Oron Catts
Network Manager
Tim Olden
Network Assistant
Diana Tanase
Administrator
Brigitte Lelievre
We offer MPhil and PhD by project and thesis. Projects may emphasise either a design- or thesis-driven output. We generally favour the former, but research in design theory is also possible.
Current or Recent Areas of Research
We are particularly interested in proposals that:
- investigate theoretical frameworks and new methodologies for speculative and critical design practices
- explore interactions between design, literary and cinematic fiction, science and technology
- explore social, political, or ethical implications for emerging technologies and scientific research in areas – such as, but not limited to, genetics, synthetic biology, neuroscience, robotics and AI
- investigate design-led futures and related topics, such as future visions, dystopias, utopias, science fiction, etc.
