Subscribe:
RSS feed
A learning journal on design, sustainability and social innovation by MA students at Kingston University.
Finding a language for sustainable building
For the last few months, we have been working with the National Trust on their ‘Heart of The Park’ project at Morden Hall Park, in the South of London. Using sustainable refurbishing techniques and materials, they have been renovating a nineteenth century stable yard, which will be turned into an educational centre for the local […]
SE1 has got talent!
July 6, 2011
We have spent the last week assisting UsCreates, a social innovation organisation, with the Urban Physic Garden project. The garden is open temporarily until August 15th and is located at 100 Union Street (SE1). The site, which would otherwise be empty prior to development, has been transformed into a garden with many flowers, herbs and plants that […]
Posted in: Events, External collaborations
The Making of the Empathy Collective!
July 1, 2011
In the train to Lancaster University for the Design PhD Imagination Conference, Paula and I had a great chat about empathy, and realised that what most of us are trying to do, is to unfold potentials. Following up from a conversation we had during a great lecture at Kingston University with Paul Micklethwaite, we feel […]
Posted in: Our individual projects, Our thoughts
Is storytelling the future of design?
June 23, 2011
In March 2011, we all attended numerous talks at DOTT Cornwall. One of the many topics discussed in the realm of design and sustainability was the link between design and storytelling. Clive Grinyer (Cisco) stated that our concepts should be shared through storytelling whilst Richard (forpeople) felt that the journey of design should be crafted […]
Posted in: Uncategorized
Clay Shirky
June 22, 2011
“A revolution does not happen when society adopts new tools – it happens when society adopts new behaviour.”
Posted in: Uncategorized
Do we need another chair?
June 22, 2011
In March 2011, a few of us attended a discussion group that included Emily Campbell (Royal Society of Arts) and Jonathan Chapman (Brighton University). Jonathan Chapman argued that design is a ‘corrosive force’ and people will continue to make – so: do we embrace or deny this reality? Emily Campbell argued that humans are makers […]
Posted in: Events
Who says we are design activists?
June 22, 2011
In December 2010, the D4D gang listened to a lecture given by Emma Dewbury (Open University) in which she quoted John Ehrenfeld (Sustainability by Design): “One never designs a new paradigm but one may stop and seek new ways of thinking about the world at hand.” We are creative and imaginative individuals but we often […]
Posted in: Our thoughts
Why Empathy is needed? – A new era of universal love values is on its way…
June 19, 2011
What it is happening in the world? Why people are so cruel to other human beings, or why some people simply don’t care about others? Are they turning off their empathy? That’s actually what states the psychologist Baron-Cohen in his book ‘Zero degrees of empathy’ (2011). If we are talking about creating a ‘big society’ with new shared values […]
Posted in: Our individual projects, Our thoughts
What we have been up to…
May 13, 2011
It’s been a good while since anyone has had a chance to post anything on the blog! We have all been very busy, writing essays on Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainable Cities, Environmental Management and Human Rights! And not only this list is non-exhaustive, but also, we are just about to bury ourselves in dark rooms […]
Posted in: Our individual projects
Design for Development 
July 19, 2011
0