Include 2007: Conference on Inclusive Design

Vikki Haffenden (School of Architecture and Design) presented a paper at the Include 2007 conference. The subject of her paper was her PhD research into knitwear for larger sized women’s body shape and encompassed the inclusion of body scanning and practise based work to date, including her adaptation of methods and methodologies from a variety of other disciplines. Vikki was supported in her attendance by the Research Student Fund in the Faculty of Arts and Architecture.

The focus of the fourth Include conference was on inclusive design, user participation and co-creation in the design process. Vikki’s paper was one of 62 academic papers presented to 150 design researchers at the Royal College of Art between 1-4th April. International delegates, representing design, policy, education and business, came from 16 different countries including Australia, New Zealand and Brazil, with a large contingent from the EU, Japan and the USA.

Keynote speakers were five leading practitioners in the field, including Clive Grinyer of Orange France Telecom, Jane Fulton Suri (IDEO) and an extremely thought provoking presentation by Stephen Wilcox of Design Science. Equally stimulating presentations by a host of other speakers ranged in topic from mass transport design for the future, wheelchair design in low-income countries to the re-education of plumbers for the installation of kitchen and bathroom fittings that prolong independence for the elderly and less able bodied. There were also 30 posters, which ranged from researching the urban journey, increasing access for impaired vision users to a public library in Finland, to people’s preferences and needs in the provision of public toilets in the UK.

Overall there were a number of themes running through the conference, Vikki’s paper was part of the ‘Interpreting Needs and Aspirations’ theme, in a session entitled Creating Empathy: The user voice in design. Vikki’s methods involve the user at the core of her practice based research, and she constantly re-visits to evaluate and receive feedback. Michael Wollf’s phrase, “The only way to get in other people’s shoes is to take your own off”, was most indicative of the delegates’ attitude to design. This observation was in response to the thought that in order to design something that will be not only useable but used, it needs to be designed with the user. This ethos was repeated in some form by many of the varied and inspirational speakers. The predominant and repeated research method was not only to talk to and listen to people, but also to watch what they actually do with items and in situations. In this way it is possible to design not only for them, but with them. That this is a time consuming process was acknowledged, but the consensus of opinion was that the enrichment of the outcome is commensurate with the quality of the research.

In conclusion, the conference called for more education from the top down by inviting financial decision makers to attend in the future. It was also suggested that design inclusion be integrated into education in a similar way to sustainability. A further report of the conference is available from the Research Student Division in the Centre of Research Development. The proceedings will be accessible through the Helen Hamlyn Research Centre website in the near future