Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
it be
great if...
Author: John Thackara
Managing Editor, Dott: Claire Capaldi
Editor, Wardour: Alex Perchard
Art Director, Wardour: Barney Pickard
Additional material: Emer McCourt
Published in 2007 by Dott 07, Design Council, 34 Bow Street, London WC2E 7DL
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Belmont Press, Sheaf Close, Lodge Farm
Industrial Estate, Harlestone Road, Northampton NN5 7UZ.
This book is printed on 100% recycled paper and the cover is manufactured
from sustainable forestry.
The information in this publication has been published in good faith on the
basis of information submitted to Dott 07 and every effort has been made
to ensure its accuracy. Dott 07 can accept no responsibility for any error or
misinterpretation. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or damage
caused by reliance on the information contained in this publication is hereby
excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.
no problem!
Schooling that breathes
chool students: could
52. S yne Salmon Trail:
86. T
ourism: must it
24. T they take the lead?
improving access
always kill the toured?
co Design Challenge:
54. E
how big is your
school’s eco footprint?
Dott 07 / Introduction
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“North East England has already proven its commitment to using design
to create a more dynamic regional economy. Leading the way with a series
of bold and innovative initiatives in business, technology and education, the
region’s plans for long-term investment and thriving cultural programmes
make it the ideal choice to host the very first national design promotion
– the very first Dott in 2007”.
David Kester, Chief Executive of the Design Council
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How you can build on Why the North East? What happens
what Dott has started The dream of Dott 07 is that after Dott 07?
Dott 07 explored ways in which the whole North East region will The Dott biennial will move from
we can carry out familiar, daily-life become a kind of design school in region to region all over the UK
activities in new ways. It is a step which a wide variety of people – over the next eight years.
towards a ‘less stuff, more people’ not just professionals – meet, share Dott 07 in North East England has
world in which new services will ideas, discuss and learn from each been a one-year-only event, but the
help us share the load of everyday other’s experiences. idea has been to get things moving
activities: washing clothes, looking Dott 07 was not about telling on several different fronts.
after children, communal kitchens people in the North East how to live. At the end of each project in this
and gardens, communal workshops On the contrary: its purpose was to manual, a ‘What next?’ section tells you
for maintenance activities, tool and enable local people – interacting with what plans are afoot for the project
equipment sharing, networks and inspiring and visionary guests from in question. We also suggest books,
clubs for healthcare and prevention. around the world – to develop their websites and organisations that you
Many of these services will involve own visions and scenarios. can go to for more information.
using products to carry them out but, In that sense, Dott 07 was in the
as a rule, products play a supporting acorn business. Its most valuable
role as a means to an end, and new legacy will be the people who remain
principles (above all, sustainability in the region, the projects they started
and one planet living) inform the ways and the skills they have acquired to
they are designed, made, used and carry them out.
looked after. The North East will once again
be the birthplace of an industrial
revolution – only this time it will be
sustainable, include a lot of public
sector innovation, and draw on the
traditions of social solidarity that
make the region so special.
Vital Signs / Introduction
Vital Signs:
when would
our region be
sustainable?
How will we know when our region is sustainable’ is a cop-out. We need individuals to the bigger picture
‘sustainable’? And how do we get from to know how much things need to of why and how climate change
here, to there? The answers to these change, and by when. is happening.
questions vary wildly. Vague promises Four Dott 07 projects, grouped Two other Dott 07 projects,
to use “as few natural resources together as Vital Signs, approached Landscape/Portrait and Town
as possible”, “reduce waste to a this challenging question in different Crying, gave a face and voice
minimum” or deliver the “greenest ways. Our Planet Tonight, and to citizens who would otherwise
Olympics planned so far” don’t mean Thinglink, helped people to connect be invisible statistics in planning
very much. As a target, ‘increasingly the small actions they might take as and designing.
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Vital Signs / Our Planet Tonight 8/9
Are we measuring
A selection of indicators used to assess
what matters?
climate change across the UK1
The biggest problem we confronted
• Air temperature in central England • Supply of gas to households
in Vital Signs was the sheer number
• Seasonality of precipitation • Scottish skiing industry
of overlapping and sometimes
• Precipitation gradient across the UK • Number of outdoor fires
contradictory indicators to choose
• Predominance of westerly weather • Incidence of Lyme disease in humans
from. Hundreds of organisations
• Dry and wet soil conditions in • Seasonal pattern of human mortality
churn out a flood of reports, graphs,
southern England • Date of leaf emergence of trees in spring
studies and punditry.
• Frequency of low and high river flows • Health of beech trees in Britain
Some organisations focus on air
in North West and South East Britain • Date of insect appearance and activity
quality and surface water quality.
• Groundwater storage in the chalk • Arrival date of the swallow
Others consider travel, energy use
in South East Britain • Egg-laying dates of birds
or how much we waste. And, for
• Sea level rise • Small bird population changes
some scientists, potato yields or
• The risk of tidal flooding in London • Marine plankton
the egg-laying dates of birds are
• Domestic property insurance claims • Upstream migration of salmon
highly significant.
for damaging weather events • Appearance of ice on Lake Windermere
Vital Signs / Our Planet Tonight
Ecological Footprint
1
0.5
03
19 1
19 1
19 6
19 2
19 8
19 3
79
00
19 0
85
94
64
19 7
20 7
6
9
7
8
7
7
6
20
19
19
19
19
19
Demand World Biocapacity
A C
A: the Earth’s surface temperature in the year 2100, as predicted in C: the capacity of the Earth‘s natural systems to absorb greenhouse
GRAPHICS: A – © Crown copyright 2007, the Met Office; B – Climate Change 2007: The physical Science Basis, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
this powerful visualisation from the Hadley Centre gases – its ‘carrying capacity’ – is fixed. Man-made emissions, on
the other hand, rise with our demand for goods and services
600
400
200
0
1960 1980 2000
Buildings Transportation Industry
B D
B: levels of C02 on Earth remained steady for 400,000 years – until D: although industry gets a lot of the blame for greenhouse gas
the industrial age and carbon-based capitalism took off emissions, transportation – and especially buildings – do even
more damage
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GRAPHICS: E & G – North East Counting Consumption by Alistair Paul, Aron Welch, John Barrett and Joe Ravetz. Partnered by WWF, SeI Cure and Biffaward. Published by WWF 2006; F – Carbon Trust; H – www.redefiningprogress.org
Total
Potential growth in electricity production
E: North
Fig East
5 TheEngland’s
North ecological footprint, as
East’s Ecological measured
Footprint by the WWF
(gha/cap) G: in common with other regions, the North East faces a
sustainability dilemma: if its economy grows, so too does
demand for electricity – and that means more C02 emissions
F H
F: the Carbon Trust measured the North East’s emissions by area. H: are we measuring what matters? Traditional measures of
As the map shows, city regions like NewcastleGateshead make the economic success focus on the GDP – the production of goods and
biggest contribution to harmful emissions. Of course as big cities services. New measures, such as the Happy Planet Index, show that
clean up their act, the savings can be bigger, too people can live long, happy lives without using more than their fair
share of the Earth’s resources (www.happyplanetindex.org)
What next?
Below is a list of useful websites related to this project:
Best Foot Forward www.bestfootforward.com
Carbon Trust www.carbontrust.co.uk
Met Office, Climate Change www.metoffice.gov.uk/
research/hadleycentre/index.html
One Planet Living www.oneplanetliving.org
Happy Planet Index www.happyplanetindex.org
SEI – York: Regional Sustainability
www.regionalsustainability.org
Vital Signs / Thinglink
Every thing has a story are better, but not by much. The amount of waste
A great deal of nature has to be moved These are not rumours. The
during the production of a computer. material flows of our industrial society,
matter generated
Many of its components require the its ‘metabolism’, have been measured in the manufacture
use of high-grade minerals that can be with growing accuracy in recent times. of a single laptop
obtained only through major mining ‘Every thing has a story. We help
operations and energy-intensive people to link to it,’ says Finnish computer is close to
transformation processes. As Amory designer and system developer Ulla- 4,000 times its weight
Lovins, Paul Hawken and Hunter Maaria Mutanen. Mutanen created
Lovins – the authors of Natural Thinglink to be an open online
on your lap3
Capitalism – explain, industry uses database for anyone, from artists to
billions of pounds of material in order designers, collectors and trendspotters, Thinglink provides
to manufacture the products we take to add and publish portfolios with
for granted, and to construct the roads their favourite things. a way to ‘read’ the
and buildings and infrastructures For a presentation at the Dott size of a product’s
needed to deliver them. Festival, Mutanen’s Thinglink team
Added up over a year, the amount of explored how their basic concept could
ecological rucksack
matter and energy wasted, or caused to be combined with mobile phones so by scanning it with
be wasted, by the average North that you or I would be able to scan a mobile phone
American consumer is roughly a products and read their environmental
million pounds in weight2. Europeans credentials before purchase.
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SCRIPT: Lone Twin 14 / 15
Vital Signs / Landscape/Portrait
Landscape/Portrait: do the
statistics used by planners
represent real people?
Wouldn’t it be great if... the faces and voices of citizens influenced design
and regeneration projects – not just abstract data?
Does your postcode define who you community, where they could create
are? Statistical models of communities and upload their own video portraits. What next?
based on postcode areas are often used This online community was then Landscape/Portrait was produced
in the design and planning of public exhibited at the Dott 07 Festival, for Dott 07 by Forma as a
services and regeneration projects. where visitors could use a laptop and collaboration between artist Kevin
Landscape/Portrait confronts people webcam to create their own portraits Carter, Media 19, and the
living in the North East with their live on site. University of Teesside.
demographic ‘stereotype’ based on these The website presents participants Dott 07 Festival visitors were
statistics and asks them ‘Is this you?’. with a fictional character who asks a invited to view and respond to
series of questions about where they their own personal video portraits.
live, who they are, their health, hobbies, In this process, which is ongoing,
How did it work? happiness, work and aspirations for the project evaluates demographic
In Landscape/Portrait, Forma themselves and their neighbourhood. data by comparing them to the
commissioned media artist Kevin The interview is recorded live via a lives of citizens and communities
Carter, working with Media 19, to webcam, then automatically uploaded across the region.
present three communities across to the website. To generate your own profile
the region with demographic The site maps each portrait and join the debate from home,
stereotypes about their own area. geographically and allows visitors you will need a broadband internet
People from within these to search for portraits by postcode, connection and a webcam.
communities then worked with Kevin username or questions answered. Below is a list of useful websites
and Media 19 to create a series of video Visitors to the site are encouraged related to this project:
self-portraits. These were presented as to leave comments under the profiles Landscape/Portrait
part of a outdoor campaign and to open up discussion and debate. www.landscape-portrait.com
uploaded to a purpose-built website, Landscape/Portrait invites citizens www.dott07.com/go/landscape
alongside the official statistical data and to think about who they are, how they Co Lab Projects
stereotypes currently held by market are and how they would like their www.co-lab.org/commissions
research agencies about each location. communities to be. Forma www.forma.org.uk
The campaign aimed to entice This project formed part of North Media 19 www.media19.co.uk
people to contribute to the online East England’s world-class festival
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Above: Landscape/Portrait presented people with a series of demographic ‘stereotypes’, and asked them ‘Is this you?’
PHOTOS: Karin Coetzee
Movement / Introduction
Movement:
can transport
and tourism be
sustainable?
The movement of people and goods around the world consumes vast amounts
of matter, energy, space and time. Could transport intensity be separated from
economic progress – and, if so, how?
Car, extra-urban 60
length of a journey Plane, long haul 60
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Movement / Move Me 18 / 19
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• Improve existing bus services. the Northumberland Car Share site work with children on completing
Arriva, a local bus provider, worked (www.northumberlandcarshare.com) the design activity they had started in
with live|work and the community and ultimately lead to increased January when they filled in their travel
to improve its service by introducing use of this currently under-used packs. The results were shared with
a new user-friendly, colour-coded community resource. the children, who were encouraged
bus timetable. The Move Me team took its lift- to design posters illustrating the
• Create a toolkit for service share toolkit to community class advantages of sharing lifts, riding their
providers: the kit consists of a number leaders over the summer and it is bikes to school and taking the bus.
of simple paper-based tools that aim currently being trialled with over
to help providers increase the number 2000 people through working with
of people accessing their service by Scremerston First School, Sure Start
making it easier to get there. Berwick Borough (who provide
Providers are able to set up a support to parents and children) and Below: live|work developed this interactive
lift-sharing scheme that encourages Berwick Community Centre (who transport map for the Dott 07 Festival.
people to offer and request lifts to run adult education classes). It is designed to illustrate the potential
environmental and financial savings that
their venue. It is hoped that this The team also visited Scremerston people could achieve by sharing lifts with
‘offline’ scheme will complement First School over the summer to other people
Movement / Move Me
A C
B D
A: Margaret and Peter, Scremerston First C. Fiona Hall, Berwick Community Centre
School – Margaret and her son Peter are – Berwick Community Centre is trialling
using My Timetable: handy cards to record Lift Exchange, a way for its 1,800 students
the times for transport that they need for the to post offers and requests for transport to
journeys they make and from classes
B. Carolynn Reavley, Sure Start midwife D. Helen Harrison, Scremerston First School
– Sure Start are also trialling Lift Exchange, – Scremerston First School are using every
in which midwives collect travel information element of the Service Provider Toolkit to
and match parents offering and requesting provide parents with information about local
PHOTOS: live|work
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What next?
‘Move Me’ project outcomes include Other useful websites include: www.goloco.org/index
a toolkit for transport providers live|work www.livework.co.uk New Mobility 177 Ideas for
who wish to improve access to their NorthumberlandCar Share Sustainable Transportation
services. The toolkit includes ‘Lift www.northumberlandcarshare.com www.ecoplan.org/wtpp/wt_
Exchange’ cards, ‘Activity Templates’ Sustrans, UK sustainable transport index.htm
for notice boards, and personalised charity www.sustrans.org.uk Sustainable Transportation
‘My Timetable’ forms. Lift Share http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
The lessons of Move Me, whch was Car sharing schemes for communities sustainable_transportation
led by live|work, will also feed into www.liftshare.org Time Pollution essay by John
the Rural Access and Mobility Project Car share services Whitelegg www.worldcarfree.net/
(RAMP) which fosters sustainable www.streetcar.co.uk resources/freesources/polluti.htm
approaches to rural transport in the www.whizzgo.co.uk
North East. Go Loco
For more information, go to Service on Facebook that helps
www.dott07.com/go/moveme people share rides between friends,
or email Laura Lomax on laura@ neighbours, and colleagues and share
livework.co.uk trip costs online)
Movement / Sustainable Tourism
1 month
Bicycle trip (travel by train)
3 weeks
Sailing (boat owned)
2 weeks
Sailing (rented boat) 1 week
Winter sports
Hotel in Morocco (travel by plane)
Summer holidays in a rented modern house
Summer holidays in a rented flat
Summer holidays in an old family house
Summer holidays in a caravan
Camping
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
kg carbon equivalent
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Urban camping
Exploring the concept of urban the North’s October weather. Tents – were to welcome people to the
camping and ‘camp&ride’ schemes would sit on platforms of varied campsite and act as security, Quaylink
as a model for sustainable urban heights within the cocoon. buses were to bring people from
tourism, the first group worked on The area would be electricity-free Central Station to Ouseburn and the
an urban camping brief. Their aim and would have a communal cooking local business Recyke Y’ Bike was to
was to transform a disused space in and eating area to encourage sharing provide recycled red Dott 07 bikes
NewcastleGateshead into sustainable and conversation, as well as a more for visitors to explore the city.
accommodation for visitors to the relaxed beanbag seating area.
Dott 07 Festival in October. The team The group looked beyond the
envisaged a huge tent space based in physical to design with the entire
Above: how a disused city space might
an archway beneath Byker Bridge, experience in mind: a local man be transformed into a contemporary,
which would protect the visitor from and his dog – ‘Bob and the Dog’ ecologically-friendly campsite
Movement / Sustainable Tourism
Landlines – Designing
the agricultural landscape
How could minor changes to farming
procedures change the face of the
landscape? This was the question
the Landlines team asked themselves
while working with farmers to explore
how existing resources might be used
to change the view from the windows
of Mainline trains travelling through
centrepieces of the light installations the North East. The aim of the
Allendale Industrial
were all features of Allendale’s lead project was also to underline the
Heritage mining heritage and community, roles of farmers as producers and
The second design camp group including a long-demolished aqueduct, custodians of the landscape.
worked with the rural community a spectacular water wheel on the old The Landlines project will be
and industrial heritage of the North smelt mill, and the Blackett level, a ongoing over the next 18 months
Pennines on a project entitled long, straight, underground tunnel. (see what next?, right).
‘Revealing the Invisible’. The concept Audiences were particularly taken
involved staging night-time outdoor with the team’s interpretation of two
light installations, highlighting industrial largely ruined round stone chimneys, Below: a montage of rapeseed in
Northumberland (where the Landlines
structures that have become ruined which were ‘virtually’ recreated using project was based) and wild flowers in
or have disappeared completely. The strong beams of bright, blue light the Indres, France
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What next?
Everyone can become a more
sustainable tourist. The key is to
make use of local resources in
ways that provide benefit to the
community without damaging the
local environment. In a sustainable
region, we will make better use of
the people and heritage that are
already here.
Below is a list of useful websites
related to this project:
Landlines www.foldgallery.co.uk
Tyne Salmon Trail
www.xsitearchitecture.co.uk
Seat 61 – gets you anywhere in
the world without flying
www.seat61.com
For more information, go to
www.dott07.com/go/designcamp
Acknowledgement
Picture House, Film, Art and Design at Belsay, was presented by English Heritage as part of its contemporary art
programme in the North East, which is funded by Northern Rock Foundation and Arts Council England, North East.
The Picture House exhibition was also funded by Design Council England, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Heritage
Lottery Fund, Northumberland Strategic Partnership and One NorthEast, and formed part of the North East
England World Class Festival and Events Programme and Dott 07.
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B C
B: The Gardens/Aleph – a kinetic reflection Golan Levin:
display system Ghost Pole Propagator
C: Belsay Hall, Northumberland
D: Levin’s Ghost Pole Propagator Celebrated new-media artist
Golan Levin created Ghost Pole
Citroën ZX electric mirrors controlled Propagator, an interactive software
by cameras and computers. Each artwork that was installed in a
mirror reflected a fragment of the deserted castle in Belsay Hall’s
whole in a matrix of reds, greens and grounds. The artwork captures
purples. The result blurred the and replays the ‘skeletons’ of
distinctions between architecture, passers-by in its environment.
people and media. The effect was a dynamic show
Somlai-Fischer and Sjölén called in which animated, but abstract,
the ‘kinetic reflection display’ system figures replicated the gestures of D
in their installation Aleph. The name visitors’ movements and their gait,
PHOTOS: C – designed by The Roundhouse, photography by John Donoghue
Aleph refers to a fictional point of while re-processing the images in What next?
singularity created by Argentine more abstract ways. Below is a list of useful websites
author Jorge Luis Borges. The relating to this project:
artists explained that a point in space Picture House
contains all other points. The idea is www.picturehousebelsay.co.uk
Golan Levin www.flong.com
that anyone who gazes into it can see
Adam Somlai-Fischer and Bengt
everything in the universe from every
Sjölén www.aether.hu/aleph
angle simultaneously, without United Visual Artists (UVA)
distortion, overlapping or confusion. www.uva.co.uk
Pixelache (festival for electronic
art and subcultures)
www.pixelache.ac
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A B
material. A selection focused on Cattermole and Adam Johnson A: ‘This is Leo’s nightclub. It’s what people see
Stockton and Middlesbrough was all contributed to discussions about when they come to Redcar beaches. It’s a
horrible, square, unwelcoming 1960s building
presented at an exhibition at the the welcome they receive from
stuck in the middle of something so beautiful.
Transporter Bridge. An eclectic mix supporters both home and away. They should knock this down and turn it into
of these short films, photographs, In Stockton, the Sure Start team a nice little café.’ – Ann Whitham, Tees Valley
animation clips and written texts was at Port Clarence Community Centre Housing, Housing Association Panel
later displayed at the Dott 07 Festival. worked with mums and young children B: ‘This is the industry near where I live.
A lot of people think this is horrible and find
Stella Hall, Creative Director, to develop the design for a new park
it unwelcoming. But it makes me feel at
culture10, who leads the Welcomes in the heart of their community. home because I have grown up with it. It
project, said the idea is that ‘voices Belinda Williams of Media 19, gives the area character and, if it all went,
will be heard – not just listened to – who helped the group use digital I don’t know what Middlesbrough would be
by the people who make changes’. imaging, said: ‘The mums here feel about.’ – Anthony Cornwall, Football First
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Movement / Welcomes
D
C
A: ‘Most people think the chimneys are ugly heritage that normally greet visitors This project formed part of
but we love them. They represent our heritage.
to this picturesque town. North East England’s world-class
Industry is what we have grown up with. It
is what we are.’ – Jim and Val Scollen, Tees More than 200 young people festival and events programme.
Valley Housing, Housing Association Panel aged between 14 and 18 helped
B: ‘This is the main field behind the
create a large-scale outdoor projection
Clarences. It was my playground when
I grew up and now it’s my little oasis. I would at the crossing of the town’s three
like to see proper paths so the community famous bridges that, with the River
can benefit from its beauty.’ – Jayne Hall,
Tweed, mark the boundary between
Clarences Community Centre
C: ‘I do martial arts so I can defend myself England and Scotland.
in situations where I might feel unwelcome. A dramatic series of morphing
When I’m older, being a Black Belt will give
portraits and text, suspended under
me confidence.’ – Charlie Hope-Smith,
Newtown Community Resource Centre the central arch of the Royal Tweed
D: ‘To me, the environment or design of a Bridge, created a double mirror image
place doesn’t make the welcome, it’s the
of Berwick’s collective ‘face’ through
people that make the welcome. I always
make myself as welcoming as possible.’ – its reflection in the river below.
Jeff Reynolds, Hemlington Community Café
What next?
The Welcomes project was the first At present, plans to extend the Welcomes event at Berwick or the
of its kind. People in the North Welcomes project to Stockton and Transporter Bridge, please contact
East were invited to explore what Middlesbrough include a celebration culture10@ngi.org.uk
was welcoming or not about their of the Transporter Bridge at its If you would like to find out more
region and to submit their ideas for centenary in 2011 and others will about this project or to register your
public display. The best ideas were be developed across the North East. interest in the methodology used,
showcased at the Dott 07 Festival, For more information about this please contact Belinda Williams at
where visitors could also take part project, visit: belinda@media19.co.uk
by presenting their Welcomes ideas www.dott07.com/go/welcome
up until the end of the event. www.media19.co.uk
But the team is determined that the For opportunities to volunteer at
ideas generated have a life beyond any of the proposed events, visit:
the past year’s events and directly www.visitnewcastlegateshead.
improve the life of the region and the com/culture10
lives of the community groups that If you would like to enquire
have taken part. about usage of the films from the
Movement / Mapping the Necklace
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MAP: The Chambers / Cornerstone Strategies 2005 34 / 35
A C
B D
A: Shelter Mapping C: Readers of the Lost Art – graphic novelists doing site research
B: Mapping Belmont Viaduct D: Disorienteering team plan mapping packs
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A B
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C D
How did New Work work? The workshops revealed six top This ever-expanding group of
Many designers are already involved issues of concern for those running micro-businesses continues to
in the creation of hardware for work: a micro-business: meet online and in person, and
desks, lights, chairs and so on. But • Both finding the right staff and an increasing number of services
with numbers of self-employed keeping them continue to be delivered to them
people set to rocket nationwide, • Selling products and services as well as to any other interested
our next challenge is to redesign • Delegating responsibility to others micro-businesses.
the how, where and when of work. • Keeping up standards when
With this in mind, New Work asked expanding A&B: Challenge: the different skills we need
the question ‘How do you design • Accessing finance and investment ‘I have a sales role, an investment role,
your life?’ and looked at the specific • Managing time effectively a toned-down coding role… hell, I even
change the toilet roll’ Ross, Rozmic
problems facing this rapidly increasing Service design idea: share the right
section of the workforce. Ideas from their discussions were person – a skilled person is shared by
Project management company developed into services to respond two or more businesses
Enabling Concepts chose six diverse to each of the problems identified. C&D: Challenge: social isolation
small business owners at different Enabling Concepts then guided the ‘My work is my passion and I’d love
stages of growth to take part in a case- businesses in how they might deliver to share my enthusiasm with others’
Ben, Whiptail Cycles
study programme. With the help of those services collaboratively. Service design idea: working back at school
service designers live|work, they met The case-study group went on to – micro-business runs an in-school workshop.
regularly and identified what they each create an online forum open to the The students learn about your business,
and you get to interact with young people
needed to facilitate being the boss of a public to pilot the new services with in the local community
successful micro-business. each other and their growing network.
Movement / New Work
A B
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C D
Energy: a new
approach
Can the North East do for energy what Stephenson’s Rocket did for transportation?
Each day, we all Energy is a fundamental requirement of renewable energy is that it does not
of modern life. We rely on it to provide produce the gases that are associated
contribute to climate heat and light, to cook, communicate, with climate change. And renewable
change through move around and make things. forms of energy will not run out.
Producing the energy required for
energy-dependent these activities means burning fossil
activities such as What is the North East
fuels – oil, coal and gas. This leads
doing for energy?
driving, heating or to an accumulation of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere, a process The North East has important
cooling our homes, that slowly heats up the planet and market-leading expertise in a variety
taking flights, leads to global warming. More and of new and renewable energy
more people, aware of the dangers of solutions. The region’s wind- and
disposing of waste climate change, want to take action. sea-based energy systems are
– and eating Renewable energy technologies developed at Blyth’s Centre for New
are becoming more important at a and Renewable Energy. A variety of
local, national and global level. Most land-based energy systems – hydro,
renewable energy comes from the heat solar, biomass and wind micro-
and light of the sun (wind, solar, wave, generation – are also being developed.
biomass). Other renewable energy Fuel cells are being developed at
comes from the gravitational pull of the Centre for Process Innovation,
the moon (lunar power) and the sun biomass systems at Cockle Farm,
on the oceans (tidal) and from the and next-generation photovoltaics
hot rocks found deep within the earth at Durham University. In the public
(geothermal). The primary advantage domain, a £20million project called
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Future Currents
BAR CHART: Carbon Trust (www.carbontrust.co.uk)
One third of the UK’s greenhouse tedious to procure, often expensive save energy and reduce the
gas emissions come from residential and hard to maintain. C02 emissions they produce.
households11. Householders could The RED team at the Design Proposals included devices for
reduce this by making their houses Council in London experienced home monitoring and regulatory
more efficient, generating their these frustrations first-hand while schemes to rank and reward
own energy, switching suppliers or living in a terraced house in London. citizens for good energy behaviour.
simply switching off. But power bills Their Future Currents project Find out more at:
are confusing, energy use is invisible proposed new products, services www.designcouncil.info/
and alternative installations are and policies to help householders futurecurrents/
Energy / Low Carb Lane
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has been an ideal platform to continue installed (by qualified installers) at no making energy understandable and
developing the concept, and hopefully up-front cost. Then, each month, the the payment processes transparent.
bring the dashboard to market in the household agrees to pay off the cost of NESCO members receive a fixed
coming years. WATTCH this space! the loft insulation at a rate less than the monthly payment and accurate real-
energy savings generated by the loft time information about their energy
SaverBox insulation. So, the household is paying use, so they can compare their actual
Several people on Castle Terrace said for the insulation without feeling the use with their monthly payment.
that they’d love to cut their energy bills financial pinch and saving energy. While NESCO buys energy in bulk
by 50%, but didn’t have the money for Northumberland WarmZones, for cheaper than the market rate, it
the necessary home improvements. Ashington Credit Union, National does not sell it on to its members at
The SaverBox, exhibited at the Energy Action and the Wansbeck LIFE this rate as cheaper energy would
Dott 07 Festival, was created in Initiative are involved in the SaverBox not encourage energy saving. This
response to these concerns. It is a scheme. live|work hopes to replicate profit goes into a pot, which is used
package of energy-saving measures, the scheme nationwide using the to fund NESCO’s points scheme.
such as loft and cavity-wall insulation, existing structure of credit unions. This rewards individual households
that make your home both cheaper to for saving energy – for example,
run and greener. NESCO ‘Save £10 of energy this month and
The idea is simple: someone either It can be difficult to know how much get £10 of cinema tickets’.
comes round to your house to perform energy you are using and how much The reward scheme could also
an energy audit, or it can be done over it will cost, so live|work has created operate on a community-wide level.
the phone. Suitable SaverBox packages NESCO (North East Energy Service The ‘pot’ would also fund the
are then offered to the household – Co-operative), a proposed not-for- installation of the home energy
SaverBox Loft Insulation, for example. profit energy utility. It puts its dashboard to all members’ homes,
If the household agrees to the offer, members in control of their energy use and could also provide the funding
the loft insulation is provided and and encourages energy efficiency by basis for communities to access
renewable technologies, such as solar
thermal systems, heat pumps and
C wood-chip boiler systems.
Hopefully, helping people to lower
their energy bills and rewarding them
for doing so will prove popular, and
NESCO can be put into practice.
First, however, we will need to test it
in a larger community to see whether
it can really work.
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What next?
Dott’s Low Carb Lane team looked
for ways to make energy loss visible,
and put the information about
power use on a domestic dashboard
viewed on your TV screen.
So far, so good. The next step was
to figure out how such a dashboard
might help us change behaviour
– not just sit there making us feel
anxious. To this end, live|work
proposed NESCO which was
presented in the Dott Festival. They
are now talking to potential partners
about trialling the NESCO scheme
in community of around 100 houses.
The NESCO would act as a local
energy supplier, offer energy at flat
rates to both credit and pre-pay
energy customers, and also offer
reward points for energy saving.
Will all this happen? Within a
year or so, an interactive extension
of the TV dashboard system could
enable members of the NESCO to
network and communicate to them
the potential benefits of energy
saving to both individuals and the
community through the reward
scheme. With that in place, it
would encourage investment in
the physical environment and
foster greater community spirit.
Power to the people!
For the latest news, go to:
www.dott07.com/go/energy or
www.livework.co.uk
D For background information,
visit the Energy North East website:
C: the SaverBox is a package of energy-saving www.energynortheast.net/page/
measures designed to help households cut their whoswho.cfm
energy bills Low Carb Lane was led by
D: NESCO would use an energy dashboard
to show consumers exactly how their energy live|work (full credits and details
consumption compares with their bill – and can be found on pages 96 to 99).
how they could do better
Energy / North East Energy Futures
North East
Energy
Futures
The burning of fossil fuels for energy
generation results in the emission of
harmful gases such as carbon dioxide,
methane and sulphur dioxide. These
gases have been acknowledged by
the world’s leading scientists as key
contributors to global climate change.
In order to combat the effects of
climate change and ensure the stability
of energy supplies, renewable energy
technologies are important at a local,
national and global level.
Renewable energy will not run out.
It comes, mostly, from the heat and
light of the sun (wind, solar, wave,
biomass) though some comes from
the gravitational pull of the moon and
the sun on the oceans (tidal) and from
the hot rocks found deep within the
earth (geothermal). Renewable energy
does not produce the gases associated
with climate change.
But what would these new energy
systems look like once deployed
here in the North East? Dott 07 (in
partnership with Doors of Perception)
commissioned Konstantinos Chalaris
to create these images. They show the
range of new and renewable energy
technologies that could be deployed
in the North East in the future in
actual locations that would suit them,
such as rural, urban and suburban
settings as well as rivers and the sea.
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Schools & Schooling / Introduction
Schools &
schooling: are
we giving today’s
school students
enough leeway
to shape the
world they will
live in?
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A C
because not all pupils have pens, then
How OurNewSchool a system is needed that ensures every
worked pupil has a pen’. The main topic to
What are the design priorities when emerge from their discussions was
a school is rebuilt? This was the vocational learning. It was agreed that
question posed by designers from co- the benefits to the school in having
design team Engine, led by Joe Heapy, their own co-designed vocational
when they created an in-school design learning zone would be numerous.
laboratory at Walker Technology For example, it would reduce time
College in Newcastle, one of the first B wasted travelling to outside vocational
schools in England to receive money learning facilities and provide more
A: inside Walker Technology College
from the government’s BSF project. B: Joe Heapy from Engine works with
choice and better opportunities for
Their aim was to enable all members students and teachers at Walker pupils. Engine and the students
of the community to explore options C: student council members James considered how this vocational
Oliphant and Amber Milligen with Walker
for the school’s development and teacher Claire Goodwill. Claire recently
learning zone might be best provided
they learned a great deal about how a retrained to teach hair and beauty at for Year 7 up to Year 14 in a way that
school can make itself ‘design ready’. Walker’s vocational block would be sustainable, adaptable, and
PHOTOS: A, C & E – Phyllis Christoper; B & D – Engine
The team began by embarking on a could potentially serve the wider
discovery phase, working with pupils might use it better. Engine worked community. They then organised small
and finding out everything about their with the teachers and students to workshops with the BSF team, Walker
experiences of the school day. They identify a series of issues that needed head teacher Steve Gater, deputy head
went on to hold workshops on the addressing. One example was: ‘If we Mike Collier and Kath Davidson,
subject of time and how the school waste time at the beginning of a lesson head of personalised learning.
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D E
New ways to learn What next? Partnership, the organisation that will
Nearly 40 years ago, Ivan Illich Details are still being looked at for be working with them to develop their
proposed that we should de-school the proposed vocational learning new school.
society14. His idea was that we block and the design of the learning The OurNewSchool project at
should use existing technologies journey for students through school. Walker Technology College is a
and spaces – the telephone, local The team is considering questions prototype for a way of working that
radio, town hall meetings – to such as: what subjects will Walker aims to support schools in designing
create learning webs through which keep on site? Who will use the together. The plan is to see if the
learners could connect with their vocational learning block? How prototype can be transformed into
peers and with new contexts in will the block help to build links a larger project, creating a design
which to learn. with local employers? How will it community of schools and developing
Three decades later, Tom Bentley serve the wider community? new skills.
of Demos made a similar point in Engine is putting together a design If you’d like to know more or would
Learning Beyond the Classroom15: brief in the form of a brochure that like to help, go to:
‘We should think of learning as will be used by the school to help www.ournewschool.org or
an ecology of people and groups, them present designs developed www.enginegroup.co.uk
projects, tools and infrastructures. through the project. The brochure The team behind OurNewSchool is
We need to reconceptualise will include drawings, photographs listed on pages 96 to 99.
education as a living system whose and illustrated scenarios to bring For more information go to:
intelligence is distributed and the school’s ideas to life for parents, www.dott07.com/go/ournewschool
shared among all its participants.’ partners and the Local Education
Health: can
design make
a difference?
One planet living is not just about looking after the natural world. It also means improving
the ways we organise social support for each other on issues such as health.
Health and care industries are growing Counting the uncountable A strong support system lowers the
because people don’t look after family Our starting point in Dott was that likelihood of many illnesses, decreases
members as much as they once did. care is a time and communication the length of recovery time, and
The world’s poorest nations spend issue, not a technology or drugs reduces the probability of mortality
200 times less money per person on issue. The costs of technology from serious diseases.
health (an average of $11) than (including drugs and hospitals) can Wireless first-aid alarms and
wealthier nations such as Britain or the be counted, and are. The value of distress-call systems are useful and
US, which averages $5,000 a head16. health professionals, and the time reassuring. But, by far the most
The pity of it is that spending larger spent by people being off work ill, beneficial care for people of all ages,
sums of money does not appear to also has a financial cost. But the not just elders, is social contact and
buy better health – or, at least, not a time spent by caregivers looking mutual support.
longer life. The biggest spenders on after loved ones tends not to be
healthcare, North Americans, die earlier counted, let alone acknowledged,
than Japanese or Spaniards, who spend as an economic activity plus in the
far less17. Medicine is now a $2trillion nation’s balance sheet.
industry but much of the world’s It makes no sense to ignore this
population dies of the same diseases care economy. Study after study tells
that killed people 1,000 years ago: us that a sense of social support is
malaria, tuberculosis and malnutrition. a buffer against stress and illness.
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A
A: Dott hosted several co-design days at which person to help guide people through visits, bill-paying, hospital visits,
people listened to each other’s stories and the early stages of dementia. home repairs, walking clubs, support
voted (in this case using balloons) on which
challenges were most important to them groups and self-help courses. For
B: one of the creative workshops organised the Dott 07 Festival, Dott teamed
by Equal Arts Proposal 2: up with TimeBank to demonstrate
TimeBank for volunteers how a service for a different group
One way to reduce individual of people works – in this case,
Proposal 1:
caregiver stress is to spread care refugees and their mentors.
Dementia Adviser between more than one person. The service, called Time Together
Concierge Service One theme to emerge from (www.timetogether.org.uk) featured
One of the key challenges faced by Alzheimer100 was that friends and mentors and mentees from the
people when they first discover they family often want to help but don’t North of England Refugee Service
or a loved one may have dementia know how. With ‘time banks’, mutual in Newcastle and Sunderland.
is the sheer complexity of support volunteers help each other to remain Time Together works as a three-
services and information available. independent. Volunteers earn and tier system whose staff use the ‘Time
PHOTOS: Thinkpublic, Equal Arts
A co-design workshop led by pay ‘time credits’ through the scheme Together Tool Kit’. As a poster at
thinkpublic concluded that it would for giving and receiving non-medical the Dott 07 Festival boldly asked:
be advantageous if there was a key services such as shopping, friendly ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we had a
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What next?
The Dott 07 team was inspired
during the Alzheimer100 project by
how much people with dementia,
and their carers, do to support each
other. That said, the project revealed
new opportunities to improve
peoples’ lives in practical ways. Our
project partners (below) will develop
these ideas, presented at the Dott 07
festival, in the coming months.
B Alzheimer’s Society
The UK’s leading care and research
charity for people with dementia,
Time Together for carers?’ Volunteer Proposal 4:
their families and carers.
researchers from the Alzheimer’s Wandering Path www.alzheimers.org.uk
Society solicited feedback from (Equal Arts, Years Ahead
visitors on how such a service should
Shadon House) The North East regional forum
work if one were set up for volunteers
on ageing.
to share some of the load of carers of Steel picket fencing and grey
www.yearsahead.org.uk
people with dementia. concrete are bad for morale and do
Time Bank
little to stimulate the imagination.
A national charity that inspires and
And yet many of the institutions
Proposal 3: connects people to volunteer in their
for carers or people with dementia
Dementia Café are just this depressing. Equal Arts,
communities.
www.timebank.org.uk
Another co-design workshop a foundation that enables older
thinkpublic
discussed the stigma attached to the people to be involved in arts across
London-based design firm
subject of dementia, and how difficult the North East, plans to create a
specialising in user-focused design.
it is for people with dementia or their series of ‘wandering paths’ through
http://thinkpublic.com/
carers to talk openly about the subject. the grounds of Shadon House,
Dementia Cafe
Dementia needs to be spoken about a dementia resource centre in
A site where those involved with
openly in the community, and people Gateshead. Safe wandering can be of
dementia can share experiences.
with dementia need to be able to meet huge benefit to people with dementia
www.dementiacafe.com/
other people in a social space where – but too often, they encounter locked
news.php
they can talk and have fun. It turned doors or are told to sit down. Artists
Equal Arts
out that the prototype of an answer to and horticulturists are beginning to
information@equalarts.org.uk
this need already exists in the form of develop plans with the involvement
www.equalarts.org.uk
the Dementia Café set up and run by of older residents, care staff, families
For further information on
volunteers in North East England. and the wider community.
Alzheimer100 see:
www.dott07.com/go/
alzheimer100
Health / Design and Sexual Health (DaSH)
The UK has worryingly high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and the highest
teenage pregnancy rate in Europe, and the North East commonly tops national
figures. While Gateshead has had considerable success in bringing down teenage
pregnancy rates – 22% in the past five years20, due largely to taking the services out
of their conventional settings and encouraging more young men to use them – local
people still have to travel out of the town to get tested for STIs. The government has
therefore given the health services money to create a local service.
Britain has the How did DaSH work? and soft issues to the district’s PCT.
This project was carried out by
dubious honour DaSH was a collaboration between Design Options, part of the technical
of coming second Dott 07 and Gateshead Primary Care assistance arm of Marie Stopes
Trust (PCT), who worked together International, working together
highest in the on design actions that would make with Gateshead’s Sexual Health
developed world sexual health screening and treatment Promotions team, with support from
services easier to access and use. The the Centre for Design Research
league table for project aimed to develop a system at Northumbria University.
rates of teenage where people would be seen by a local The Department for Health’s
pregnancy21 service within 48 hours of contact, National Strategy for Sexual Health
and where the treatment path is clearly and HIV suggests that users find that
explained and suits the user’s needs. the services offering contraception
The team, led by Dr Louise and the diagnosis and treatment
Hulton of Design Options, began by are disjointed, and they are in
conducting research to understand locations which are difficult to use
the daily lives of the people that or make the user feel stigmatised.
policy-makers hope will use the Sexual health workers in Gateshead
service. They then explored ways that already take their contraception
new facilities, communications and services out to the user – for
procedures could improve the use example, workers will meet young
and experience of the service. Their men and women at places where
final task was to deliver a service they usually gather, at school,
design blueprint covering these hard leisure centres or in their homes.
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What next?
DaSH, led by Design Options
together with Gateshead PCT and
the Centre for Design Research,
Northumbria University,
used the latest service design
techniques to develop a sexual
health service blueprint for the
town. The project’s founding
principle was that a person’s
experience of using such a service
should be central to its design.
The project team’s design
recommendations resulted
in a blueprint for a service in
which people are seen within
48 hours of first contact, the
treatment pathway is clear and
it meets the needs, preferences
Above: wouldn’t it be great if sexual Options team spoke to around 40 and circumstances of all users.
health clinics were placed in everyday professionals and more than 1,000
situations? Clinic areas at the back of high A reorganisation of the local
street fashion stores, for example, might Gateshead citizens, with a particular health authorities means that
encourage people to look after their sexual focus on young people, gay and implementing the DaSH-designed
health as part of their normal lifestyle bisexual men, and other groups who service is still in the pipeline, but the
find it harder to use health services. blueprints can be downloaded from:
But once screening or treatment Interviews and discussions took place www.dott07.com/go
for a sexually transmitted infection to ensure the final outcome met with dashconclusion
is needed, Newcastle or South their expectations and preferences. This user-centred approach for
Shields are currently the nearest Each group looked at the ideas that developing sexual health services
places where facilities are available. the design team developed and has been picked up by five other
This is often a long way to travel for explained what they would want their health authorities, so the project’s
those without personal transport, experience of the service to be like.
ILLUSTRATION: Design Options with Louise Marshall (Illustrator)
Gateshead Newcastle
Citizen MESMAC
GP Young Gay /
Whickham Bisexual
Health men’s Group
Centre Director of
Nursing,
Gateshead Community
Citizen and Primary Care,
GatesheadPCT
Children’s Rights
Team Member GANOT
Teenage
Pregnancy
Co-ordinator Pel
Youth
Gateshead Wo
Citizen
ha an Yo R Dott 07 P shead R Av
Gwendolyn Douglas
rd
Brandon Gateshead Benedict
Design Options PCT Singleton
Design Options Gates
ert
Gateshead
DaSH
PCT
Nick
Menta
Jenna Angela Mike Mark Nurse
Singleton Star Smart Oddy Offend
D a
C
Design Options Gateshead Design options Gateshead
Lis
T
PCT PCT
N
SH h Ea s
or hod ril
Sue
t e
A st
Shilling
Gateshead Gates
PCT Citi
Lindsay Louise
Heather Hulton
Hillyard McAdam
Design Options Gateshead Design Options
Gateshead
PCT
Citizen G
Tea
Needle Med
Exchange Prac
Refugee and Worker
Asylum Seekers Service
Team Leader Manager Open
GVOC
Consultation
Gateshead Public Health Gateshead
Citizen Specialist Civic
Sunderland PCT Center
Director of
Public Health
Gateshead
PCT Mother and
Toddler Group
Design Team Gateshead
Citizen
Leam Lane Sure
Start Centre
Ryton Head of
User Group Workshops Citizen
Team Leader
Public Health
Operations
NEAC Gateshead Gateshead
Gateshead Citizen PCT
Citizen
Blaydon
Citizen
Co-Design Team Felling
ILLUSTRATION: Design Options
Citizen
Whickham
Citizen
Chopwell
Citizen Ryton
Citizen Gateshead
Key Informants Citizen Gateshead
Citizen Birtley Whick
Citizen Citi
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sham Gateshead
izen Citizen Low Fell
Citizen Low Fell
Citizen Blaydon
Citizen Birtley
Citizen Gateshead
Birtley Citizen
Citizen Gateshead Gateshead
Citizen Heworth Citizen
Citizen
Heworth
Citizen Gateshead
Citizen
Chopwell
Citizen Birtley
Whickham Citizen
Citizen
Pharmacist,
Raygales,
Whickham Head of Sexual Gateshead Gateshead
Health Services Citizen Citizen
Gateshead
PCT
Heworth Gateshead
Gateshead Citizen
Citizen Citizen
Assistant Connexions
Director Gateshead Heworth
Advisor Citizen
of Nursing Citizen Bensham
Gateshead Citizen
PCT
Blaydon
Citizen
Highfield Whickham
Community Citizen
Centre, Youth Gateshead
Worker Citizen
STAG
Gateshead
Gay / Bisexual
Shaadiq
law
Men’s Group
S PA
Blaydon Bensham
Citizen Citizen
shead Gateshead
Jennie
izen Citizen
inhall
Gateshead
Citizen
Bensham Young
People at
Departm
‘Visible’
Dennison GovGraney
Catherine
Youth Offending
of Health NoOffice t C Stonole
BME Student
Group Team
al Health Felling Support Gateshead Gateshead Gateshead
e,Youth Worker Citizen Citizen Citizen
ding team Gateshead
ent
College
Gateshead
rth Ea S ent e
Citizen
ernm
A n n
Gateshead
s e
e
e
shead
t
Nic
re
Gateshead
ch
kham Felling
Birtley
Citizen
Chopwell
Citizen One to One ‘Real Story’ Interviews
izen Citizen
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What next?
If you would like to find out more
about the impact of technology on
our bodies and health, visit:
www.dott07.com/go/cyborg
Below is a further list of useful
websites and recommended
background reading related
to Our Cyborg Future:
C E
Android World
www.androidworld.com
bionow
D F Cluster support group of
England’s biotechnology,
C: Tobie Kerridge, Ian Thompson and Nikki E: Marcel·lí Antúnez Roca – Requiem. pharmaceutical and healthcare
Stott – Biojewellery. Making jewellery special The Requiem exoskeleton is made of industry in the North West
to you is hard to do, but how about jewellery aluminium sheets, stainless steel and 19
www.bionow.co.uk
made from your loved ones? One couple’s pneumatic pistons, enabling movement
cells were seeded onto a ‘bioactive scaffold’, of the knees, thighs, groin, hip, shoulders,
which encouraged the cells to divide and elbows, jaw and hands Fashionable Technology™
grow rapidly. The resulting tissue took on the
Research Consortium
form of the scaffold, in this case a ring shape F: G-Tec – Brain-Computer Interface for
Computer Control. Wouldn’t it be great www.fashionabletechnology.org
D: this flying human form, designed by Land to just have to ‘think’ to move a cursor on
Design, the exhibition’s designers, represented a computer screen? The Brain-Computer
Smart Textiles network
the blurring boundaries between the human Interface aims to do this. A neuro-cap
form and a growing number of man-made with sensors attached, which is linked to Think-tank exploring the
spare body parts and enhancements a computer, picks up mental activity and future of smart textiles,
then detects changes and transforms
intelligent clothing, products
them into a control signal
and environments in the
context of future markets
www.smartextiles.co.uk
medGadget
Internet journal of emerging
medical technologies
www.medgadget.com
Food / Introduction
Food: the
ultimate design
challenge?
Food is a crucial energy challenge. For a Northern city such as Toronto, 30% or
more of its ecological footprint can be traced to its food systems22. From farm to
plate, depending on the degree to which it has been processed, a typical food
item may embody input energy between four and more than 100 times the
food energy that enters our bodies23.
Food for thought transportation of foods alone have to re-frame food systems as design
Global food systems are not fuelled greater demand for locally opportunities, and to consider what
sustainable. Industrialised food can grown food. But, for many of us who design steps we might take to make it
consume over 100 times more energy live in cities, the separation between easier for city dwellers to grow their
in production and distribution city and country has seemed to be an own fruit and vegetables.
than enters our bodies as nutrition. obstacle to local food production. The Urban Farming project in
In developed countries, the food Some planners and architects have Middlesbrough brought together more
consumption of a single family responded by discussing new ways than 1,000 citizens – or ‘New Urban
generates eight tonnes of CO2 to grow food in cities in what they Farmers’ – to grow food in small,
emissions a year24. This madness is call ‘continuous productive urban medium and large containers all
enabled by non-renewable fossil landscapes’, building on existing over town.
fuel. But what to do? resources such as the UK’s 59 city
Over the past 10 years, the farms, nearly 1,000 community
growing number of food miles and gardens and 66 school farms. The
escalating CO2 emissions from the focus of the Dott 07 food projects was
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A B
C D
PHOTOS: A & B – North News and Pictures; C – Dott 07; D – Steve Messam
Growing together to existing and new markets, a new When you eat an
During the summer and autumn of relationship needs to be struck
2007, thousands of people living and between urban and rural, and iceberg lettuce from
working in Middlesbrough participated communities need inspirational and the US, 127 calories
in a project to increase local food
production and reduce food miles.
educational ‘soil to plate’ experiences.
Middlesbrough Council and David
of energy are used
Along the way, young, old, rich Barrie, senior producer for Dott in its shipping and
and poor worked together, growing 07, have led the project, working in merchandising for
food and realising new relationships close partnership with Groundwork
with local food producers and South Tees, Middlesbrough Primary every one calorie of
existing growers in the town and its Care Trust, more than 15 primary nutrition that enters
surrounding area. Their goal has been
to pioneer a new sustainable future –
and secondary schools, many local
community and voluntary sector
your mouth26
not just for Middlesbrough, but also organisations, and existing allotment
other post-industrial communities growers in the town. It was driven There are 52
across the UK. by Bioregional’s commitment to
They were also working to raise the concept of one planet living, transport and process
awareness of the benefits of and developed in collaboration with the stages involved
opportunities for growing and
securing food for our towns and cities.
World Wildlife Fund and endorsed
by the Minister of State for the
in making one
Local growers need to be connected Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. bottle of ketchup27
PIE CHART: “Carbon footprints in the supply chain”, Carbon Trust Report CT616, 2007
Figure 1: Schematic of the supply chain of a can of cola and its proportional
carbon footprint (illustrative)
Product
manufacturing
Consumer
use
Distribution
& retail
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A B
C D
PIE CHART: The Environmental Impact Assessment & Policy Development Office, Toronto
23.9% Transportation
Figure 1: Average ecological footprint for the city of Toronto 5.6%
20.9% Housing
31.9% Food 17.7%
17.7% Products &
23.9% Transportation
services
20.9% Housing 5.6% Waste 5.6%
31.9% Food 17.7%
17.7% Products &
services 23.9%
5.6% Waste 31.9%
23.9%
Toronto, in Ontario, Canada, has high transportation
31.9%
and housing contributions to its ecological footprint, but
by far the biggest factor is food, at 31.9%. The chart 20.9%
opposite is measuring the average ecological footprint
as being equal to 5.30 hectares.
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Food / Urban Farming
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The proposal behind this project was urban agriculture facility optimised
to build, install and unveil the world’s for the unique constraints of an
first rooftop urban greenhouse atop a urban green roof. It couples open
building near the Dott 07 Festival. The ecological systems with closed-systems
Urban Space Station (USS) design engineering. This mutualistic host/
team is led by Natalie Jeremijenko, parasite relationship increases CO2
Visiting Global Distinguished fixation and waste air cycling.
Professor, College of Arts and Green roofs are relatively new and
Sciences, New York University. are perhaps the final frontier of urban
The Urban Space Station is space. They are being colonised at an
designed to generate its own energy alarming rate for their promised
and can provide energy to the building energy conservation benefits as well
it rests upon. USS is designed to use as other environmental services such
the CO2-enriched air produced by as urban agriculture.
people and machines in a building via Unfortunately, it did not prove
the output of the heating, ventilation possible to install a prototype for Dott
and air conditioning (HVAC) system. 07 – but we hope to do so for Dott 09.
A&B: the design team’s impressions of how
The USS adapts closed-system design For more information visit: the urban greenhouses might look situated
developed for space stations to an www.nyu.edu/projects/xdesign/uss on rooftop spaces in the city
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ILLUSTRATIONS: Open Source Space – Angel Borrego, Fran Gallardo and Natalie Jeremijenko
B
A
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Food / Tyne Salmon Trail
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Design Event 07
The theme for Design Event 07
was ‘How do we want to live?’
• In an urban environment, how can
we escape and find solace?
• How can we create and add more
value to the things we buy so that
we treasure them, rather than
discard them as soon as the next
trend comes along?
• How often do we take time to look
up and appreciate what’s around us?
D F
Delight in Design
Alistair Fuad-Luke worked with
North East design forum Designed
and Made to look at the process of
design and how the beauty and joy
of making can be celebrated. Where
possible, locally-sourced, found,
recycled or virgin materials were used
and exhibited as a dinner party with
a difference where the experience was
of equal importance as the exhibits. E G
Our Friends in the North and provides a launchpad for new Design4Science
Our Friends in the North traced products by regional designers. Design4Science highlighted the impact
the evolution of technique, process Held in venues as innovative as the of design in communicating scientific
and training in graphic design products on show, this year Launch breakthroughs and how new scientific
between 1977 and 2007. took place at Newcastle City Centre’s advances have inspired designers from
Acclaimed artists with roots in the decommissioned fire station. the post-war era to the present day.
North East, including Vaughan Oliver, Curated by Shirley Wheeler at the
Build and Richard Fenwick, were Plastics Recycling Factory University of Sunderland, it featured
commissioned to produce a new piece You may put your newspapers, bottles new commissions by Daniel Brown,
of work illustrating the impact of the and plastics into the recycling bin, Paul Cocksedge and Andy Altman.
North East on their creative style or but do you know what happens It also included a post-war archive
working process. This was curated by to them after that? At a series of of drawings, models, and animation
the Lobster Foundation. performances, Cohda Design from the MRC Laboratory of
transformed household plastic Molecular Biology in Cambridge,
Launch 2007 packaging waste into innovative designs produced for the 1951 Festival
Curated by Deadgood ltd, Launch handmade seating designs. of Britain and the winning entries
is a maverick design exhibition held Early designs from the process from the National Design4Science
annually in Newcastle and was one were a hit at New York’s furniture Student Design competition.
of the founding elements of Design fair earlier this year. Design Event 07
Event 05. Over the past three years, provided the first opportunity to see
it has established itself as one of the the process behind the work.
North’s biggest 3D design showcases
Other Projects / Pecha Kucha
Pecha Kucha
Pecha Kucha, Japanese for ‘chit-chat’, was founded in Tokyo in 2003 by Klein Dytham
Architecture. Pecha Kucha nights have taken place in Berlin, New York, San Francisco,
Los Angeles, London and Sydney – and Newcastle upon Tyne.
In December 2006 and May 2007, The objective is to inspire through A: Pecha Kucha crowd in the
Dott 07 brought Pecha Kucha to unconventional methods. Robert Stephenson Centre
B: John Thackara welcoming
Newcastle’s Robert Stephenson Centre Among the many stars from the Pecha Kucha crowd
for a fast-paced evening of fun that the worlds of design, architecture, C: warehouse roof of the Robert
featured a collection of inspirational photography and the creative arts who Stephenson Centre
D: S teve Messam, Fold Gallery
images and stories by some of the took part were Elle Decoration ‘Young E: Françoise Lamy, Cinefeel
most influential people in the creative Designer of the Year’ Alexander F: Tom Shakespeare
industries. Karen Stone and Danielle Taylor; BAFTA award-winning
Pender curated both nights. art director Simon Sankarayya and
At the Pecha Kucha nights, 10 to 12 Ross Millard, singer and guitarist
speakers from design, architecture, art, from the Futureheads.
music and photography each talked John Thackara, Dott 07’s
about 20 slides for 20 seconds each Programme Director and host for
slide. There was no brief and images the evening, introduced the various
could be as obscure or as mundane as speakers, saying: ‘Dott 07 is about
the speaker wished. starting conversations instead of
They ranged from things that telling people how to live. One way
inspire them – a holiday snap, their to do this is setting up the Pecha
favourite books or football team – to Kucha event, where the only
something they hate. requirement is to talk about stuff.’
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E. Françoise Lamy,
A D Cinefeel
Françoise Lamy of Cinefeel has been
curating and promoting the work of
emerging directors, digital artists, VJs
and new electronic music since 1994.
She treated us to images from her
travels to London, Beijing, Moscow,
New Delhi and Saudi Arabia.
F. Tom Shakespeare
Multi-talented author, academic and
B E film-maker Tom Shakespeare took us
on a journey through the metaphorical
consequences of falling and laughing.
Pictured is the startling image of breast
cancer cells growing out of control.
C F
Other Projects / Pecha Kucha
G H
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I K
J L
Who’s who
Design Council and One John Hudson (Staffordshire University) ie
NorthEast funded all projects Mark Nicoll (Middlesex University) If You Could
Inspire
Dott 07 Projects: Design and Sexual Health Lobster Foundation
Centre for Design Research National Glass Centre
Alzheimer100 at Northumbria University Northern Architecture
Alzheimer’s Society Centre for Sexual Health Research, Northern Gallery for Contemporary
(regional branches) Southampton University Art
Centre of Excellence Department of Health Platform Projects
for Life Sciences (CELS) Design and Sexual Health [re]design
Equal Arts Design Options – Gwendolyn Reg Vardy Gallery
Institute for Ageing and Health Brandon, Louise Hulton Reluctant Hero
Newcastle General Hospital (Senior Producer), Ben Singleton, Sunderland University
Newcastle University Jenna Singleton Tyne and Wear Museums
Professor Jim Edwardson FPA
Dr Louise Robinson Gateshead Primary Care Trust Eco Design Challenge
South of Tyne and Wearside Mental Government Office North East Cohda Design - Richard Liddle
Health NHS Trust Newcastle Primary Care Trust Enigma Interactive
Tees & North East Yorkshire North East Strategic Health Authority Rachel Deller
NHS Trust Pasante Nick Devitt (Senior Producer)
The SMART Team Jennie Winhall NE6 Design Consultants
thinkpublic – Ian Drysdale, NESTA
Ivo Gormley, Deborah Szebeko Design Event 07 Newcastle College – Phil Bawden
(Senior Producer) Arts Council Martin Selman
Time Bank DE07: Karen Stone (Curator), The Edinburgh Centre for Carbon
Wolfson Research Centre Danielle Pender (Co-curator) Management – Jill Burnett
and Kala Preston Terra Infirma – Gareth Kane
D&AD Formica Designers into Schools:
NESTA ade a studio – Ade Armstrong Purves
D&AD and winners NewcastleGateshead Initiative Arup – Carol Clarke, Lean Doody
First Exhibition curators: Ash LLP – Michael Atkinson
Daniel Foster-Smith (Northumbria alt.gallery C2M(UK) Ltd – Leon Tighe, Gary
University) Blanka Thompson
Second Bowes Museum Conran and Partners
Wesley Richardson (Ravensbourne Candy – Sebastian Conran
College of Design & Communication) Cohda Design Corporate Element – Mark Pattinson
Commendation Deadgood Ltd Design Council – Clare Brass
James Godwin (Central Saint Martins Designed and Made Design Options – Jenna Singleton
College of Art and Design) Globe City Jane Darbyshire & David Kendall Ltd
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Council
98 / 99
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Manual references
References
1. Indicators of climate change in the UK 14. ‘Deschooling society’, Ivan Illich,
www.ecn.ac.uk/iccuk/ (World perspectives, v. 44) Harper & Row (1971)
2. Natural Capitalism, Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins and 15. Learning beyond the classroom: education for a changing
Hunter Lovins, London: Earthscan (1999) world, Tom Bentley, Routledge Demos (1998)
3. Natural Capitalism, Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins and 16. Improving the health of the world’s poorest people,
Hunter Lovins, London: Earthscan (1999) Population Reference Bureau
www.prb.org/pdf04/ImprovingtheHealthbrief_Eng.pdf
4. New Mobility Agenda
www.ecoplan.org/wtpp/wt_index.htm 17. World Health Organisation
www.who.int/whosis/indicators/2007LEX0/en/index.html
5. New Mobility Agenda
www.ecoplan.org/wtpp/wt_index.htm 18. Profile of Informal and Family Caregivers,
Bohse & Associates
6. Widex Noise Report: Traffic Noise in England (2007), www.bohse.com/html/facts_on_aging.html
Deepak Prasher, Professor of Audiology,
The Ear Institute University College London 19. Alzheimer’s Society www.alzheimers.org.uk
7. Is man the only cause of climate change? Jean-Marc 20. Equality Strategy, Kent County Council
Jancovici, www.manicore.com/anglais/documentation www.kent.gov.uk
_a/greenhouse/only_action.html
21. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_pregnancy
8. Sector Skills Agreement, North East England (January
2007) www.lantra.co.uk/documents/NESSAStage5.pdf 22. Toronto Food Policy Council
www.toronto.ca/health/tfpc_index.htm
9. The way to work in 2016, Orange (2007)
www.business.orange.co.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=B 23. The Party’s Over, Richard Heinberg, New Society
usiness&c=OUKPage&cid=1044133326057 Publishers (2003), Gabriola Island, BC Canada
www.newsociety.com
10. 2007 City & Guilds Happiness Index
www.city-and-guilds.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/SID-0AC0478D- 24. Ecological debt – external debt
E8BF11C0/cgonline/hs.xsl/2342.html www.cosmovisiones.com/DeudaEcologica/a_alier01in.html
12. Danish Board of District Heating 26. Why Our Food is So Dependent on Oil, Norman
www.dbdh.dk/dkmap/dkmap.html Church, Energy Bulletin (2005)
www.energybulletin.net/5045.html
13. Sustainable Schools
www.teachernet.gov.uk/sustainableschools 27. Eating Oil
www.resurgence.org/resurgence/issues/jones216.htm
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