11-12 November 2008, Royal College of Art
The first Methods Lab was supported by RCA design departments including Communication Art & Design, Design Products, Design Interactions and Textiles. RCA Students Union promoted the event.
Over a two-day period the teams worked together to understanding the methodology of inclusive design and develop design proposals, which were presented at the end of day two.
The workshop brought together students, tutors and disabled artists and designers. Each team consisted of RCA students led by an RCA design tutor or graduate working with a disabled creative partner.
'As a designer, communicator, maker or artist, collaborate with your team members to develop a design proposal that improves aspects of how we access information in urban lives. Your proposal should demonstrate a combination of social need, creative design thinking and user research.'
Team 1: An audio device for museum and gallery visitors to access exhibit information. It can be used when walking and is controlled by rotation. An additional function is that visitors can record comments.
Team 2: Rethinking the bus stop - the team decided to open a discussion by leaving questions about how we can place information in our environment in places such as bus stops.
Team 3: Lodestone - an interface that provides extra information for directions at ground level. This can benefit people of varying abilities such as wheelchair-users, older people and children.
Team 4: Fragile - a game that aims to raise awareness of disabilities by encouraging people to empathise through their experience.
Methods Lab (1) List of participants
