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Design research |
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Design concentrates on investigation of people-systems-environments relationships and provides new knowledge and innovation beneficial to their users. Design improves the quality of work and life and brings social and economic advantages to the industry and community. Design incorporates research in:
The theme is cross/inter - disciplinary related with relevant DESIGN fields and the Faculty Research Themes: Infrastructure, Smart Systems and Medical Engineering. It has links across the University community and Institutes - Institute for Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Institute for Creative Industries Innovation (iCi), Information Security Institute (ISI), Institute for Sustainable Resources and relevant Collaborative Research Centre's (CRC) – ACID, Construction and Innovation and AHURI. The Design Research Theme Leader is Professor Vesna Popovic.
Design FocusThe Design focus is directed toward the following research approaches:
New Knowledge Discovery
The discovery of new knowledge plays significant part within the design research and innovation. The foci for new knowledge discovery are:
Colour and Light Colour and Light focuses on a cross section of issues involving the application, perception, and experience of colour and light. These include: the manipulation and perception of space and form in illusionary and real environments; moulding interior spaces and architectural forms through the integration of elements such as light fittings; environmental quality including thermal comfort and glare; the symbolic value of colour and environmental interpretation, and application and evaluation of colour relationships and lighting in design projects. It includes recently created Colour and Light Laboratory. Cultural Landscape Cultural landscape research includes investigations of land use change over time and the recognition and protection of values attributed to place. Typically, researchers pursue the beliefs, attitudes and expectations of people concerning shaping the physical environment as well as the tangible forms of change. Embedded within cultural landscapes are specific interests including garden or landscape history, heritage conservation, and many aspects of urban design and planning. The cultural landscape is the constantly evolving humanised environment, as modified and interpreted by people.
Design Education and Design Theory and Methodology Design education research utilises educational theory to investigate the effectiveness of different learning approaches of students in developing new forms of design products and processes. Specific issues include the intersection of design discourses, the design studio as a site for research and the connection between university-based learning and practice-based learning. Outcomes of this research will contribute to the integration of discourses in curriculum design and the broader debate on design education in the higher education sector. Design theory and methodology include research into the nature of design activity, design theory and practice, development and application of new design and research methodologies, socio-cultural studies and design.
Generative Design Generative design includes research into the theoretical framework for the generic description of design concepts to enable the construction of intelligent building models and the application of generative and evolutionary design techniques for the development of built form. The emphasis is on making theoretical advances in the development of complex systems relevant for immediate application to the generation of virtual prototypes and their use for construction rationalization and performance optimization.
Human-Centred Design Research and Usability Human-centred Design Research and Usability competitive advantage is in the research approach that brings together people, products, culture and context. It incorporates studying the dynamic relationships between people, products or systems, and the contextual environment. The strategic focus is on human-centred innovation, intuitive interaction with complex devices, user experience and context of use, novice to expert transition while interacting with complex interfaces and usability research. It includes world-class laboratory and analysis software.
Person-Environment Studies The person environment research interrogates specific relationships between people and the built environment. It seeks to understand the nature of the relationship in order to improve the quality of our physical environments by being cognisant of the way people relate to and experience their surroundings. This involves projects that give particular emphasis to the physical, spatial, cultural, social, and/or psychological aspects and particular users groups, such as older people.
New Knowledge Applications
The new knowledge is applied across two broad areas and it is integrated to respond to new and existing needs and deliver an innovative outcome accepted by people. Application areas include:
Sustainable Systems The sustainable system emphasis is on people and environments and the design systems that connect them. Systems are complex wholes or networks; or sets of connected parts, and include ecological systems, human systems, manufacturing and construction. It concentrates on subtropical design and the sustainability of such devices, systems and their human use.
Virtual Prototyping Virtual prototyping includes the design and manufacture of devices, systems and environments directly from digital models. Research and application are focussed on the construction and evaluation of virtual prototypes prior to manufacture or construction. The potential for design performance optimization on the basis of iterative analysis is of particular interest.
Contact UsContact details for design research in the Faculty |
