How would you create a design if your client was a native wetland plant species? What are its wants, needs and desires, and how does it connect to the humans which utilize its services?

This Ecosystem Service Design workshop will be given by Zack Denfeld from CoClimate (coclimate.com/). Participants will be introduced to the concept of ecosystem services, and will identify a particular animal, plant or biospheric flow as a client that they believe is undervalued. We will then use service design strategies to imagine and prototype new connections between humans, technology and the natural environment, culminating in a series of insights and patterns that will be collated, synthesized and disseminated following the workshop. Participants will leave with a set of tools for thinking creatively about specific environmental opportunities and challenges, and a set of metaphors for conducting design research with non-human clients.

Afterwards, Nowcasting artists James Bridle and Rachel Jacobs will be joined by Dr Candice Howarth – Senior Research Fellow Climate Action & Cultural Systems at Anglia Ruskin University – and Professor Mike Wilson – Loughborough University, The School of the Arts, English and Drama – to discuss their approaches to working with data to develop new narratives and experiences.

The workshop is aimed at researchers and practitioners within the fields of art, design, engineering and environmental sciences. It will be taking place in the LU Arts Project Space in the Edward Barnsley Building on Wednesday 15th October from 1pm – 4.30pm, with the discussion afterwards commencing at 5pm (ending at 7pm). As space for both sessions is limited, prior booking is necessary, which you can do via these links:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ecosystem-service-design-workshop-tickets-13284744027

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nowcasting-talks-tickets-13285091065

Radar, Loughborough University Arts, the Design and Emotion Society and international innovation agency DesignThinkersGroup have teamed up to offer an afternoon workshop, Evoking Emotion, this Friday, 13th June, that will examine experience driven design.

This free event is aimed at design professionals, artists and academics, who are interested in creating emotional connections through objects and experiences. It is a great opportunity to network and share ideas.

Three speakers will share their research and outputs generated as part of Product Pleasure, a programme of artists’ commissions exploring how products can create sensorial, emotional and meaningful experiences.

Commissioned artist Cécile B. Evans will reflect upon How happy a Thing can be, a new sculptural and video based work informed by the research of Dr Samantha Porter, Senior Lecturer at Loughborough Design School.

Designer and researcher Mark Selby will share his research investigating ways that material objects might shape our engagement with personal experiences.

Game designer Holly Gramazio will draw upon her experiences of making work for public spaces, exploring the intersection of game design with other cultural forms.

The event begins at 1pm and closes at 5pm. It will be followed by drinks and a light buffet in which speakers and audience can carry on the conversation.

Places for this event are limited and should be booked online.