In Oslo, Norway, 5 - 6 May 2004

Design and Locality
Registration »
Programme »

Organisers: Cumulus European Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media Doors of Perception The Netherlands , Oslo School of Architecture Norway
Spark! is supported by EU Culture2000 programme and Nordic Cultural Foundation

Conference Summary

When traditional forms of work and daily life disappear from a locality, what is to take their place? In Spark!, multi-disciplinary design teams from five countries, together with local officials and citizens, conducted design scenario workshops in five very different European locations: Narva-Jõesuu in Estonia; Cray Valley in London; Forssa in Finland; Val d´Ambra in Italy; Nexø in Denmark. This conference will review the outcomes of these five experiences, discuss lessons learned about the innovation process in localities, and consider next steps in this rich new field of design research.

Design and Locality is run according to an Open Space format. Spark will not have 1.5 days of formal presentations. Instead, after one or two keynote introductions to spotlight key issues in design for locality, we will break into a series of 65-minute small group sessions.

Everyone present is free to "post" a topic for discussion, and everyone chooses which one to join. Once a day, we will meet in a plenary to hear one-minute reports from the workshops. Each workshop leader also writes a short report, and these are bundled together, copied, and given to all delegates at the end of the event.

Participants in the Oslo workshop, which is limited to 150 people, will be selected on the basis of their proposals. Those selected will not present their papers live, but the best papers will be published online and/or in the Spark! book which will be published later in 2004.

Conference Programme

Spark!, a Culture 2000 project will be explained and put in context – the five locations: how we worked, what we found and what we designed.
Invited keynote speakers will critically comment on the field.
Techniques and examples of capturing, mapping and notation of local knowledge will be illustrated
Technology issues: wireless networks, GPS, adaptive media capes.
A second objective is to consider case studies of similar projects; (see Call, below).
A third task is to discuss next steps after the event. One idea is for a European Masters in “design for locality”. A further follow-up is a Project Observatory that Doors of Perception is developing; the Observatory will monitor, evaluate, and share knowledge of outcomes and processes concerning design research projects.

The presentations will show up best-practice case studies and exploitable insights that address some or all of the following questions:

• What are success factors for design projects in real-world situations?
• Is it possible to design a service for a local situation?
• How can value chains for services be built?
• What are the key issues concerning enhanced daily life in a community?
• What role do new communication technologies such as wireless, GPS etc play in cultural services?
• What tools are available for mapping communication flows, and the notation of local knowledge in the fields related?
• How are we to understand the boundaries between devices + networks, infrastructure, content, equipment, software, space and place?
• What is the role of universities in cultural R&D?
• How best shall we manage multidisciplinary design teams?

Organizing Commitee
John Thackara, Director, Doors of Perception The Netherlands
Jan Verwijnen, Researcher, University of Art and Design Helsinki
Birger Sevaldson, Vice-Rector, Professor, Oslo School of Architecture, Department of Industrial Design Norway

International Programme Committee
Professor Yrjö Sotamaa, President of Cumulus, European Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media, Helsinki Finland
Professor Ezio Manzini, Faculty of Design, Politecnico di Milano Italy
Professor Jeremy Barr, Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication, London UK
Professor Arvo Pärenson, Department of Industrial Design, Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallinn
Professor Peter Gall Krogh, Department of Communication Design, Århus School of Architecture, Århus Denmark

Who should attend
Researchers
Project managers,
Course leaders, in postgraduate design and architecture education.
Commissioners of research or demonstrator projects
Urbanists, city planners and managers
Research or innovation managers in telecommunication, device and infrastructure companies.
Policy, forecast and future planning persons.