The Social Design Institute worked on several knowledge exchange and collaborative research projects with external partners.
These projects involved the application of design methodologies to understand and tackle complex policy and societal challenges, as well as promoting new forms of engagement with citizens and stakeholders.
The Institute also completed an important piece of work with the UK Design Council in 2021, developing a new framework to capture the social, environmental, democratic and financial value generated by the design economy.
Design Economy 2021
SDI, along with BOP Consulting, have been working with the UK Design Council to develop a research methodology for Design Economy 2021. A series of working papers outlining a proposed approach to research were produced as part of the first phase of the project. Phase two involved developing an Impact Framework for capturing, holistically, the social, environmental, democratic and financial-economic value created by the design economy as a whole. This has been tested and developed both with design practitioners (from undergraduate students to senior industry leaders) and with experts in social and environmental impact.
The latest programme of research will explore not only the economic, but the social and environmental value of design. And it will for the first time capture detailed information about design practice in the public sector, and public attitudes to design.
Using design methodology to understand the challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The research project ‘Next Generation Services through Collaborative Design’ (funded by UK Research and Innovation’s Industrial Strategy Fund) explored the challenge of AI and its potential impact on professional services.
Led by the Institute's Director Professor Lucy Kimbell and Dr Makayla Lewis (previously at UAL), the project team developed the AI Readiness Toolkit that people in the professional service sector can use to explore what AI might mean for their future services and business models.
Using design skills to prototype public policy
SDI organised a knowledge exchange collaboration which enabled UAL designers to work with central government’s Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and Policy Lab to bring creative expertise and fresh thinking to policy-making around supporting caring and carers.
Two 2021 graduates from BA Graphic Communication Design at Central Saint Martins, joined the DWP and Policy Lab teams between January and March 2022 to develop and test new solutions to engage potential carers facing choices about how to balance their work and care responsibilities. In parallel, current Stage 2 students from the same course were asked to come up with ideas and prototypes to help individuals understand how they can support friends and family with caring responsibilities.
For policy-makers, working with creative students and graduates is a way to bring end-user perspectives, rapidly generate new ideas and develop capacities in visualising and prototyping potential policies at an early stage.
Read the full story and hear from the students, graduates and policy-makers involved in the project.
Enhancing workforce development policies in Northern Ireland
A cross-UAL team, led by the SDI, worked with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) to support the design of 3 new sector-wide initiatives proposed by the NI Department of Health to enhance the career development of social care workers.
The team headed up by SDI Research Fellow Jocelyn Bailey, included Phillippa Rose (Associate Lecturer at London College of Communication), SDI Associate Hannah Zeilig (Senior Research Fellow at London College of Fashion) and students Laura Duarte (MA Service Design) and Bobbie Galvin (BA Graphic Communication Design). Together they coached the NISCC team in applying a social design approach to create content for the 3 policy proposals, starting from a workforce-centred point of view; and to visualise the proposals to clearly communicate NISCC’s thinking and intent.
Alongside the policy development project, UAL students studying graphic communication design at Central Saint Martins, led by platform leader David Preston, researched and generated innovative approaches to communicate the value of social care as a career option to people aged 18-25. This work has gone on to inform NISCC’s communications strategy.
Redesigning the food system with Bite Back 2030
Since June 2019, the Social Design Institute has been collaborating with Bite Back 2030, whose mission is to redesign the food system, putting young peoples’ health first.
We worked with Bite Back to embed a social design approach within the organisation, as well as co-producing a number of briefs for students at Central Saint Martins and London College of Communication. The briefs explored young people's attitudes towards food and what the experience of buying food might be like in the future.
Find out more about the student projects and view images in the project report (PDF 2957KB).
