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From Waste To Opportunity, Upcycling Innovation In The South African Context: The Case Of Clothes To Good, Jennifer Murray, Lindsey Carey, Desiree Smal, Adelaide Sheik Jun 2026

From Waste To Opportunity, Upcycling Innovation In The South African Context: The Case Of Clothes To Good, Jennifer Murray, Lindsey Carey, Desiree Smal, Adelaide Sheik

DRS Biennial Conference Series

South Africa is a country which is facing significant textile waste problem. High volumes of second-hand products are entering the marketplace and represent an opportunity to SMEs and micro-businesses. Clothes to Good (CTG), a South African charitable organisation, are working to offset this challenge by creating upcycling programmes which repurpose these products through micro-business models designed to empower mothers of neurodivergent children. Neurodiversity is rising in South Africa and sensory stimuli products are an opportunity to repurpose second-hand clothing to products to support these consumers. This research represents the pilot study of a larger project investigating micro-business programmes creating weighted …

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Design, Territory And Gastronomy: Relational Practices In Local Transformation Processes, Dafne Rivadeneira Griner, Laura De Souza Cota Carvalho Silva Pinto, Marcelo Silva Pinto Jun 2026

Design, Territory And Gastronomy: Relational Practices In Local Transformation Processes, Dafne Rivadeneira Griner, Laura De Souza Cota Carvalho Silva Pinto, Marcelo Silva Pinto

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Relational design practices, grounded in the collaboration among local producers, public institutions, and designers, have strengthened cultural identity and promoted new forms of economy based on values of sustainability and belonging. This article presents the development of a gastronomic festival as a living laboratory of transformation, carried out in the municipality of São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo, Brazil, by the Design, Territory, and Gastronomy extension project of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). Based on the theories of relational design and design for transitions, the study highlights how design mediates local tensions, overcomes institutional challenges, and helps the reconstruction …

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From Discontent To Touchpoints: Analysing Art Festival Experience Design Through Participants’ Critical Feedback On Social Media, Wanchun Ye, Kin Wai Michael Siu, Yijia Jiang, Izzy Yi Jian Jun 2026

From Discontent To Touchpoints: Analysing Art Festival Experience Design Through Participants’ Critical Feedback On Social Media, Wanchun Ye, Kin Wai Michael Siu, Yijia Jiang, Izzy Yi Jian

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This study examines critical feedback shared by arts festival participants on social media. These posts, as a unique form of reflective user experience data, can spark dialogue and spread widely, helping to identify potential needs and key service touchpoints in the design of cultural and creative activities. Using purposive sampling, 104 relevant posts were collected and analysed thematically based on Buchanan’s four orders of design as a framework. The findings indicate that participant discontent stems from overlapping conflicts across different design orders, characterised by a lack of authenticity, value conflicts, and service limitations. Furthermore, the study emphasises the pivotal mediating …

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Research On Integrated Immersive Interaction Design For Revolutionary History Museums: A Case Study Of The Hongyan Revolutionary Memorial Museum, Peng Lou, Yilin Wang, Xinyue Ru, Zhengyan Fan Jun 2026

Research On Integrated Immersive Interaction Design For Revolutionary History Museums: A Case Study Of The Hongyan Revolutionary Memorial Museum, Peng Lou, Yilin Wang, Xinyue Ru, Zhengyan Fan

DRS Biennial Conference Series

As digital interactive technologies evolve, visitors have higher expectations for narrative experiences in revolutionary history museums. This study uses the three stages of flow theory—conditions, experience, and effects—as a starting point, integrating user experience design with narrative communication theory. A mixed research approach is employed to explore how digital interaction design can trigger user flow states and enhance immersion. By transforming passive observation into actively engaging flow experiences, we focus on three dimensions: the operability of hardware interaction, the guidance of software interfaces, and the immersion of content narratives. An integrated immersive interaction design model, termed “Three-Dimensional - Four-Stage,” is …

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Designing Inclusive Virtual Reality Experiences For Older Adults: Enhancing Digital Engagement And Challenging Digital Ageism, Lian Pan, Xiao Wei, Yuanyuan Yin Jun 2026

Designing Inclusive Virtual Reality Experiences For Older Adults: Enhancing Digital Engagement And Challenging Digital Ageism, Lian Pan, Xiao Wei, Yuanyuan Yin

DRS Biennial Conference Series

As global population ageing accelerates, virtual reality (VR) offers new opportunities to enhance older adults’ wellbeing, cultural participation, and social connection. Existing VR research concerning older adults has predominantly concentrated on medical or clinical applications. In contrast, this study investigates the potential affordances of VR for this population within cultural and entertainment domains. Through Participatory Design workshops with ten adults aged 60+ in UK, this study explores older adults’ user experience with VR and proposes recommendations for age-inclusive VR design. Results show that complex multi-step operations, dual-hand coordination, and complex menu structures create high cognitive load and reduce user confidence. …

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Strategic Thermal Design For Smartphones: An Experimental Analysis Of Zonal Heat Perception Across Hand Contact Regions, Ke Zeng, Xing Xiao, Haining Wang Jun 2026

Strategic Thermal Design For Smartphones: An Experimental Analysis Of Zonal Heat Perception Across Hand Contact Regions, Ke Zeng, Xing Xiao, Haining Wang

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Technical solutions dominate current approaches to smartphone overheating, yet user-centred strategies that exploit zonal thermal perception remain underexplored. This study examined how contact region (thumb, index finger, thenar eminence), surface temperature (36.0-43.5°C), and exposure duration (0s vs. 120s) jointly shape thermal experience. Thirty adults completed trials with a prototype featuring hotspots at high-frequency grip locations, rating perceived heat and thermal dissatisfaction using two Borg CR-10 items. A PERMANOVA revealed a significant Area × Temperature interaction (F = 10.35, p < .001): the thenar eminence showed disproportionately higher ratings at ≥ 42 °C than the other areas. Main effects of temperature and duration were also significant (p < .001), indicating discomfort intensifies with hotter surfaces and prolonged contact. These findings provide an empirical basis for strategic thermal zoning, placing or redirecting heat away from high-sensitivity regions, and complement hardware-level cooling with ergonomically informed design.

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Attuned Design Practice: Embodied Knowledge As A Design Vocabulary At The Intersection Of Artistic And Scientific Inquiry., Anne Marleen Olthof, Jouke Verlinden, Somaya Ben Allouch Jun 2026

Attuned Design Practice: Embodied Knowledge As A Design Vocabulary At The Intersection Of Artistic And Scientific Inquiry., Anne Marleen Olthof, Jouke Verlinden, Somaya Ben Allouch

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This article introduces Attuned Design Practice (ADP) as an umbrella term for studying embodied knowledge at the intersection of artistic and scientific inquiry. It addresses an epistemological gap across design and human–computer interaction, dance and somatics, and disability studies. Building on an existing framework of embodied knowing, we examine domain-specific traditions and expose the threshold between these knowledge domains. We propose Open Rehearsals as experimental settings for co-performance among human and non-human actors. Within this context, attunement is introduced as a performative materiality that enables relational, situated, and operational forms of understanding across disciplines. An eighteen-month field study in design, …

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Expanding Curriculum And Pedagogical Strategies In Architecture Education With Developments On Additive Manufacturing And Wood Composites, Carolina Manrique Hoyos, Randall Teal, Michael R. Maughan Jun 2026

Expanding Curriculum And Pedagogical Strategies In Architecture Education With Developments On Additive Manufacturing And Wood Composites, Carolina Manrique Hoyos, Randall Teal, Michael R. Maughan

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Faculty and students in our Architecture Department have been engaged as one of the four research teams in an interdisciplinary and interjurisdictional collaboration funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The overall goal of this research is to develop the science, technology, design, and educational frameworks focused on the utilization of wood waste to make 100% bio-based materials for the Advanced Housing Manufacturing Industry of the Future. The Architecture Cradle-to-Cradle Design Team (C2C) focused on: 1- developing design speculations and scenarios for wood composites and additive manufacturing architectural applications (research-by-design); 2- developing a customized assessment toolbox for determining performance benchmarks …

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From Mindset To Measurement: Developing Scales For Inclusive And Reflective Design Practice, Akrimar Tongkaew, Carina Lomberg, Dagný Valgeirsdóttir, Maria Funk Jun 2026

From Mindset To Measurement: Developing Scales For Inclusive And Reflective Design Practice, Akrimar Tongkaew, Carina Lomberg, Dagný Valgeirsdóttir, Maria Funk

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Design practitioners and educators play an important role in advancing inclusive societies. However, the impact of educational initiatives aimed at cultivating inclusive thinking and behaviour among designers remains underexamined. We address this gap by reporting phase 1 of a scale-development study to measure inclusive mindset, knowledge, and behaviour in design and engineering education. Building on the Inclusive Mindset Model, the study operationalises inclusivity into three scales and presents the initial item pool developed through item generation and content validation. Following established scale-development procedures, items were refined through feedback from six expert judges and eight engineering students, resulting in an initial …

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Surfacing Design Requirements. A Conceptual Framework For Entity Identification In Smart Product-Service Systems, Elena M. Dumitrana, Vimal Dhokia, Bryan, C. C. Clift, Debbie J. Janson Jun 2026

Surfacing Design Requirements. A Conceptual Framework For Entity Identification In Smart Product-Service Systems, Elena M. Dumitrana, Vimal Dhokia, Bryan, C. C. Clift, Debbie J. Janson

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Smart Product-Service Systems (SPSS) design recognises the need to engage diverse stakeholders, yet traditional design approaches often overlook entities critical in the operationalisation of a SPSS - contextual users, regulators, AI entities - until late implementation stages. This paper argues that entity identification in SPSS design requires interrogating underlying assumptions about which entities matter and why. Drawing from systems thinking and human-centred design, the paper proposes a multi-dimensional framework for reconceptualising entities that warrant design consideration. Rather than presenting a neutral taxonomy, the framework provides structure for examining how design assumptions determine which perspectives are centred and which are overlooked …

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Enhancing Social Connections Through Co-Illustration Workshops Among Solo-Living Young Adults, Jueshuang Wang, Emma Rose, Mirian Calvo Jun 2026

Enhancing Social Connections Through Co-Illustration Workshops Among Solo-Living Young Adults, Jueshuang Wang, Emma Rose, Mirian Calvo

DRS Biennial Conference Series

The rising prevalence of social loneliness among solo-living young adults indicates an urgent need for support. However, research addressing this issue, especially in Asia, is limited. This study aims to bridge this gap by introducing co-illustration workshops as a novel method to enhance social connections and wellbeing in this demographic. Employing a participatory action research (PAR) methodology, the study engages participants in five iterative co-design cycles to enhance social connections. The findings suggest that temporary co-illustration workshops serve as a conduit for conversation and facilitate the formation of high-quality weak ties, thereby alleviating social loneliness. This paper provides guidance and …

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Menopause Technologies Beyond Ableism And Normativity, Omleila Mohammadi, Sabine Thayer, Bernhard Maurer, Verena Fuchsberger Jun 2026

Menopause Technologies Beyond Ableism And Normativity, Omleila Mohammadi, Sabine Thayer, Bernhard Maurer, Verena Fuchsberger

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Many technologies are available that address menopause, yet more or less exclusively reflect and reinforce dominant narratives of ableism and normativity. To uncover untold stories of the menopause journey and add perspective to the pluralistic menopause experience, we conducted two workshop sessions with cis women and gender-diverse individuals who have experienced menopause. Through feminist and reflexive methodology and using critical disability studies (CDS) as an analytical lens, we present how menopause experiences are shaped through bodily transformations and relational social practices. Finally, we discuss possible future design directions for shaping the menopause experience beyond its conventional notion. We call for …

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Design As Strategic Competence For The Evolving Energy Industry, Qing Tian, Xiangyang Xin Jun 2026

Design As Strategic Competence For The Evolving Energy Industry, Qing Tian, Xiangyang Xin

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Responding to the evolving changes in the energy industry—from government-led infrastructure development to business-driven energy solutions, and nowadays to energy products and services created by householders—this paper explores how design can contribute to this transition and create value across multiple frontlines. The paper begins by outlining the dynamics of the energy industry’s transformation and the reasons behind it, followed by a case study conducted in collaboration with an internationally recognized renewable energy technology company. The case study traces the evolution of design from a peripheral function to a central driver of corporate strategy. It identifies a triple-mechanism model through which …

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Positioning Wearable Design: Research-Practice Gaps And A Practice-Informed Model, Jialu Hou, Rowan Page, Chuan Khoo Jun 2026

Positioning Wearable Design: Research-Practice Gaps And A Practice-Informed Model, Jialu Hou, Rowan Page, Chuan Khoo

DRS Biennial Conference Series

With the emergence of technologies like Artificial Intelligence, wearable design is gathering renewed interest. Although design has an obvious role to play in developing wearables for user acceptance, the understanding of the role of design in wearables is fragmented and poorly understood. Through a scoping review, we highlight the fragmentation of the wearable research field and the lack of design-led approaches to developing wearable devices. To augment this lack of design literature, we analyze six design cases. The result reveals a key tension: wearable practice is rapidly expanding into interdisciplinary, speculative domains, blurring evaluative boundaries. To bridge this gap, we …

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Telling Stories, Making Hanzi: Ai-Assisted Co-Creation With Elderly Migrants In Urban China, Yunfei Chen, Wen Zhan, Peiyue Lin, Ziqun Hua, Ying Hu Jun 2026

Telling Stories, Making Hanzi: Ai-Assisted Co-Creation With Elderly Migrants In Urban China, Yunfei Chen, Wen Zhan, Peiyue Lin, Ziqun Hua, Ying Hu

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This paper explores how older migrants in urban China can record stories that everyday language and design often miss. We ran two co-creation workshops with 10 elders. Activities combined oral storytelling, facilitator-mediated AI assistance, and hand making. Large language models proposed candidate glyphs through a facilitator. Participants crafted new Hanzi to hold their stories. The resulting characters served as memory anchors for later sharing and retelling. Our interpretive analysis shows heterogeneity and adaptive capacity among participants. Participants experienced AI as a creative initiator that lowered barriers to expression and making, especially for those with lower digital literacy. The work challenges …

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Environmentality's Integrated Design: Iso Standards As Infrastructural Semiotics, Lucia Jalon Oyarzun Jun 2026

Environmentality's Integrated Design: Iso Standards As Infrastructural Semiotics, Lucia Jalon Oyarzun

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Tracing the emergence of neoliberalism, Michel Foucault introduced the concept of environmentality to describe a form of power in which control is exercised through the design of an increasingly technologically mediated environment to ensure economic circulation. Decades in, environmentality has reshaped how our habitats are conceptualized, designed, and perceived. In many levels, design has stopped being an independent autonomous task to be integrated and automated within the operative nature of our milieux. This integrated design operates through infrastructural semiotics, i.e. texts, codes, guidelines, indicators, benchmarks and protocols as well as other ecologies of biological, social and machinic signs like notifications …

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Situated Practices In Digital Jewellery Research: The Collective Voices Of The New Generation Of Jewellers, Nantia Koulidou, Mette Laier Henriksen Jun 2026

Situated Practices In Digital Jewellery Research: The Collective Voices Of The New Generation Of Jewellers, Nantia Koulidou, Mette Laier Henriksen

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Digital jewellery is an emerging field of research and practice that combines jewellery practices with microelectronics and employs methodologies from art, craft, design and Human-Computer-Interaction (HCI). This interdisciplinary approach offers exciting possibilities for designing innovative digital devices on the body. However, the field of digital jewellery remains loosely defined and underdeveloped. It is timely to give voice to jewellers and to lead them to shape the many ways in which digital technology can be meaningful to the wearer. This paper synthesises insights from the past five years of digital jewellery research conducted in two jewellery education programs in the UK …

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An Autoethnographic Account Of Noticing In Practice, Through A More-Than-Human Centred Lens., Dr Carol Breen, Kirsten Stevens-Wood Jun 2026

An Autoethnographic Account Of Noticing In Practice, Through A More-Than-Human Centred Lens., Dr Carol Breen, Kirsten Stevens-Wood

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This paper investigates what it means to notice in practice. Carrying out field research situated on the edge of the River Taff, Cardiff, we interrogate what it means to notice through a more-than-human centred lens. We arrive at ‘noticing’ as a method from two different perspectives: ethnography and design. Utilising concepts from assemblage theory, deep time thinking and technological entanglement theory, we extend upon scholarly interpretations of noticing through autoethnographic accounts. Our choice of non-human participant (i.e. a river) forces us to consider more-than-human temporalities, geological time and the longue durée. We think about the ways in which technology disrupts …

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Affective Materialities And Textile Agency: The Apron As A Device Of Gender And Class, Camila Andrea Rios Erazo Jun 2026

Affective Materialities And Textile Agency: The Apron As A Device Of Gender And Class, Camila Andrea Rios Erazo

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This article analyses textiles as living materials endowed with their own agency. In addition to the emotions and memories they evoke, textiles are imbued with vitality. When they occupy an intimate and private space, such as a home, they act as a kind of soft architecture, absorbing the words, gestures, smells, memories and relationships that emerge within that environment. Steeped in everyday aesthetics and imbued with feminine care, these materials face a society with clear and visible power structures as they cross the threshold into the public sphere. This is accentuated when these textiles cover a body, revealing social hierarchies …

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An Early-Stage Framework: Exploring Narrative And Co-Design Methods In The Social Care Decision-Making Process For Older People, Shuzhong Wang Jun 2026

An Early-Stage Framework: Exploring Narrative And Co-Design Methods In The Social Care Decision-Making Process For Older People, Shuzhong Wang

DRS Biennial Conference Series

In Scotland’s social care system, decisions about support and care transitions are often shaped by professional and policy discourses, leaving older people and their families with limited involvement in key decisions. Although policy frameworks emphasise “choice and control,” communication remains dominated by professional language, and lived experiences are rarely used to inform care processes. This paper proposes an early-stage conceptual framework that considers how narrative theory and scenario-based co-design may contribute to a more user-centred understanding of decision-making for older people. Within this framework, a by-proxy approach is proposed, in which family carers are positioned to represent aspects of older …

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Infographics As A Tool For Communicating And Promoting Public Policies For Women, Virginia Tiradentes Souto, Daniela Fávaro Garrossini, Symone Rodrigues Jardim, Wilson Henrique Veneziano, Bianca Novais Queiroz, Neily Baeza Manteiga Jun 2026

Infographics As A Tool For Communicating And Promoting Public Policies For Women, Virginia Tiradentes Souto, Daniela Fávaro Garrossini, Symone Rodrigues Jardim, Wilson Henrique Veneziano, Bianca Novais Queiroz, Neily Baeza Manteiga

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Infographics are an important tool for governments to provide public information to citizens. Digital infographics can present information in various ways within a coherent whole, enabling different types of information, with varying levels of complexity, to reach the population. This study aims to assess the potential of infographics as a tool to support communication and the promotion of public policies aimed at women. To this end, infographics on public policies for women were created and tested. The design of the infographics was based on a literature review, analysis of existing infographics, and feminist principles. The empirical tests included participants from …

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Exploring Co-Design With People With Disabilities In Digital Museums: A Systematic Review And Outlook, Yuqian Xie, Wendy Zhang, Thammathip Piumsomboon, Hongyao Li, Die Hu Jun 2026

Exploring Co-Design With People With Disabilities In Digital Museums: A Systematic Review And Outlook, Yuqian Xie, Wendy Zhang, Thammathip Piumsomboon, Hongyao Li, Die Hu

DRS Biennial Conference Series

The digital transformation of museums is reshaping how culture and knowledge are shared, but it also risks creating new accessibility barriers, deepening the digital divide for people with disabilities. Co-design has emerged as a promising approach to embed inclusive participation and mitigate these risks. However, research on its application within this context remains fragmented, needing to address different disability groups and assistive technologies equally. To synthesise knowledge and learn from current practices, this study systematically reviews co-design research within the broader cultural heritage (GLAMs) context. The review maps co-design processes, tools, and technologies, analysing the key benefits and challenges for …

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Hybrid Craft Practices For Sustainable Materialities And Narratives Through Digital Fabrication, Alessia Romani, Philip Gurrey, Imogen Clendinning, Junyu Ke, Joshua Pearce Jun 2026

Hybrid Craft Practices For Sustainable Materialities And Narratives Through Digital Fabrication, Alessia Romani, Philip Gurrey, Imogen Clendinning, Junyu Ke, Joshua Pearce

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Hybrid craft can help envision more sustainable futures, recognizing the human-nature-technology interdependence in ecological making practices. Beyond industrial and research applications, digital fabrication offers new aesthetic and formal possibilities to designers, artists, and practitioners, exploring new materialities and narratives to foster sustainable discourses through hybrid craft and reflective making. This paper explores how hybrid craft and digital fabrication can foster sustainable materialities and narratives to reflect on human-nature-technology relationships and advance sustainability discourses through Janus, a collaborative case study combining local natural elements with 3D printing and crafts. By showcasing a corn stalk alongside its 3D scanned and 3D printed …

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Strategies For Successful Collaborative Engagement: Navigating Organizational Dynamics, Sylvan Lobo, Ravi Mahamuni Jun 2026

Strategies For Successful Collaborative Engagement: Navigating Organizational Dynamics, Sylvan Lobo, Ravi Mahamuni

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Typical organizations are characterized by complexity, comprising individuals working in isolated groups with competing priorities. Structural and cultural factors often hinder effective collaboration, despite organizational efforts. This paper examines collaboration dynamics in organizations through the lens of behaviour-change. It introduces the CraftChange framework for behaviour-change for promoting collaborative participation, demonstrating the approach through an analysis of two real-world organizational projects. The paper argues that genuine participatory engagement cannot be achieved solely through top-down directives or establishment of support units like innovation labs, design thinking or prototyping teams. Instead, there is a need to focus on bringing behaviour-change through a stagewise …

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The Future Of Designers: A Study On The Transition Of Designer Occupations And Corresponding Strategic Responses, Yeonghun Kim, Chajoong Kim, Sangyeol Kim Jun 2026

The Future Of Designers: A Study On The Transition Of Designer Occupations And Corresponding Strategic Responses, Yeonghun Kim, Chajoong Kim, Sangyeol Kim

DRS Biennial Conference Series

The design industry is experiencing significant occupational shifts driven by rapid technological advancements, evolving market demands, and other pressures. Traditional roles like 2D rendering, mock-up production, and market research are declining. This research systematically explores these declining roles through comprehensive desk research, expert focus group interview, and in-depth interviews. The study identifies a clear trend: manual, routine processes are being replaced by digital tools, automation (like generative AI and 3D visualization), and multifunctional roles. Societal shifts toward digital content, economic imperatives, and policy frameworks accelerate these changes. To address these transformations, the study proposes a strategic framework: individual designers should …

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Small Ai: A Degrowth Imaginary For Designing With/For Artificial Intelligence, Roy Bendor, Dave Murray-Rust, Rainer Rehak Jun 2026

Small Ai: A Degrowth Imaginary For Designing With/For Artificial Intelligence, Roy Bendor, Dave Murray-Rust, Rainer Rehak

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This paper presents Small AI as a conceptual lever for designers to resist the ‘bigger is better’ trend in the discourse and development of Generative AI. We explore different types of Small AI: initially in relation to the size of models, as smaller models require less computational resources for both training and inference, thus implying a smaller ecological footprint. However, we extend the meaning of smallness to apply to political, epistemic and cultural domains as well. In this vein, the paper posits Small AI as an imaginary-in-the-making, and a rallying concept for an alternative innovation agenda that holds, in the …

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In Kinship With Harakeke Phormium Tenax: How One Plant And Its Materials Facilitate Transitional Knowledge Through Inter-Indigenous And Inter-Cultural Exchange., Angela Kilford, Sonya Withers, Faith Kane, Huhana Smith Jun 2026

In Kinship With Harakeke Phormium Tenax: How One Plant And Its Materials Facilitate Transitional Knowledge Through Inter-Indigenous And Inter-Cultural Exchange., Angela Kilford, Sonya Withers, Faith Kane, Huhana Smith

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Abstract: This paper considers how one plant, harakeke (phormium tenax), native to Aotearoa New Zealand embodies the natural attributes to mitigate climate change and support transition to more sustainable and equitable material futures. Through interaction and collaboration, harakeke demonstrates how circular and regenerative textile design systems are manifested. In the interest of learning from harakeke the authors, working from multiple perspectives, position the plant as tohunga (knowledge expert) and themselves as tauira (learners) to share and reflect upon their engagements with the plant and its fibre. From harakeke we learn about familial relationships to whenua (land) and to each other, …

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Understanding Designers’ Activities And Cognition In Co-Creation With Textual Genai: Do Prior Experience And Ai Literacy Matter?, Yulu Song, Ying Hu, Zihan Zhou, Yiming Bai, Xing Du, Ziling Liang, Yunxiang Shi, Wentao Deng Jun 2026

Understanding Designers’ Activities And Cognition In Co-Creation With Textual Genai: Do Prior Experience And Ai Literacy Matter?, Yulu Song, Ying Hu, Zihan Zhou, Yiming Bai, Xing Du, Ziling Liang, Yunxiang Shi, Wentao Deng

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Artificial intelligence is bringing comprehensive impacts to the approaches, methods, and efficiency of creation. As a result, designers are being driven to tackle more untried tasks, rather than engaging in work they have long been proficient in. This study organised a co-design experiment involving novice designers and Textual GenAI to investigate the influence of prior experience and AI literacy on collaborative design outcomes. We conducted a detailed coding of collaborative activities in the design process. This uncovered the activity characteristics, shifts, and collaboration patterns in the co-creation process. These findings deepen the understanding of the Human-AI collaborative design process and …

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Visualisation For Citizen Participation: Data Practices In The Copenhagen Climate Citizens' Assembly, Daniele Dell'orto, Amalia De Götzen, Mathieu Jacomy Jun 2026

Visualisation For Citizen Participation: Data Practices In The Copenhagen Climate Citizens' Assembly, Daniele Dell'orto, Amalia De Götzen, Mathieu Jacomy

DRS Biennial Conference Series

The recent popularisation of data and their visualisation has offered new opportunities for spaces of citizen participation around contested issues, such as climate assemblies. The potential of data visualisation in opening and supporting discussions has been widely recognised, but so has the risk it carries of naturalising certain perspectives and delegitimising others. Still, the roles played by data visualisation in the specific context of climate assemblies remain unaddressed. This paper investigates those roles through field observation and desk research around a case study, the Københavnernes Klimaborgerting. The study explores which data were visualised, how, by who and why. What emerges …

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The Transformative Nature Of Food And The Transition Of Traditional Desserts Into Industrial Products: A Case Study Through A Transformational Design Lens, Burcu Torum Jun 2026

The Transformative Nature Of Food And The Transition Of Traditional Desserts Into Industrial Products: A Case Study Through A Transformational Design Lens, Burcu Torum

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This paper examines the transformation of traditional Turkish desserts into contemporary industrial food products through the framework of transformational design. Grounded in the premise that food functions not only as a biological necessity but also as a carrier of cultural memory, identity, and social meaning, the study explores how traditional foods can be reinterpreted within modern production systems, consumption patterns, and sustainability expectations. Drawing on student projects from a food design course in an industrial design department during the 2024–2025 academic year, the research analyzes how desserts are redesigned according to industrial constraints and contemporary lifestyles. Using thematic analysis, findings …

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