Speaking & appearances

While it is good that designers have ambition and want to change the world, are any of these ideas big enough? Or is the influence of design rather a coincidental symptom of society’s acceptance of limits, where few leaders (or anyone else for that matter) openly argue for innovation, risk-taking and progress? Instead the prevailing […]

So is there any value in “blue-skies thinking”, which can open up new possibilities by ignoring limits and self-imposed constraints, especially in an era of austerity like now? Or is blue-skies thinking just a management cliché and an irresponsible indulgence? Certainly Secretary of State Vince Cable appears to have no time for it. To him, […]

Venue BA Hons Graphic Design students, Bristol Faculty of Creative Arts, University of the West of England. Designers are influencing change everywhere. We are told that ‘creative industries’ are a major boost to the economy; that ‘design-thinking’ is reforming the NHS; that better design can reduce consumption and protect the environment; that design research techniques […]

Venue Designers Society talk, in association with Plymouth University Faculty of Art Plymouth. Designers are influencing change everywhere. We are told that ‘creative industries’ are a major boost to the economy; that ‘design-thinking’ is reforming the NHS; that better design can reduce consumption and protect the environment; that design research techniques can help the third […]

Venue Hub Kings Cross, London. With a few others I presented a ‘stump speech’ on what I think are the major barriers to innovation. As reported, I said “we are in the middle of a cult of managerialism”. Companies, politics and culture in general has become fixated by KPIs, ROI and measuring everything that must […]

Originally published in Battle of Ideas festival. QQ, Tudou, Mixi and CyWorld are not familiar names in the West, but these websites based in China, Japan and South Korea are more popular, profitable and technically innovative than their Western counterparts, MySpace, Facebook and YouTube. South Korea and Japan are the most advanced internet markets in […]

Venue Organised by design agency LBi and the Usability Professionals Association, London. Spoke on panel entitled Openness of information and communities in Healthcare discussing ways in which the internet offers opportunities for sharing information to inform the public, and to enable experiences to be shared and learned from within the NHS. Other speakers included Sir […]

Venue Usability Professionals Association, LBi offices, London. Much needed creativity is suffering in a climate that places importance on achieving a measurable impact on the bottom line above all else. The talk explored why this is happening and argued that innovation is more important than perpetuating the statistics. Some said I caused disagreements whilst another […]

Venue Battle of Ideas festival, RCA, London. Nowadays, even before designers have put pen to paper, there are growing concerns about the consequences of their work and its effect on society. They are accused of everything from creating too much waste (excess packaging) to fuelling excessive consumption (producing unnecessary gadgets, luxury goods). We are told […]

Venue Design Museum, London Why do few designers, if any, defend design for its own sake? Instead, many argue that design only has worth once it contributes toward social renewal, regeneration, the environment, sustainability and so on. But doesn’t this mean that design as a result will suffer? Speakers Clive Grinyer: director of design, Orange France […]