Design contributes to human knowledge.
It’s political, and it has consequences.
Design + DH. with S. Ruecker.
Coming in 2021 via Intellect Books.
About Short Videos on Design
Dr. Stan Ruecker and I have created a series of free video lectures that cover key topics in our design classes (at Mount Royal University and University of Illinois). We have more than 50 videos so far on introductory and advanced topics in research methods, graphic design, critical reading, speculative design, interface and interaction design, manipulating form, plus a few case studies. All videos are available on Vimeo.
Statement on Racism, Oppression, and Racialized Violence
I stand with my students and colleagues in support of the Black Lives Matter movement—at MRU and in communities across Canada and the US—knowing that the fight for BIMPOC rights and lives has been ongoing for centuries, with far yet to go in making meaningful change and visible progress. I also recognize that Canada has its own racist history, and that it continues to benefit from oppressing and subjugating Indigenous communities—from RCMP’s military occupation of unceded land, to the abduction of Indigenous children, government refusal to ensure access to essential services and resources (such as water) within Indigenous communities, to the continued exploitation of Indigenous lands by resource development companies, and the staggering rates of violence against Indigenous women and girls.
Mental Health During COVID19 Mini-Project
“We are living in a pandemic” is meant to reduce the stigma associated with mental health, putting it in the context of our common experience of dealing with COVID19. There are two versions of the poster. One version includes a list of supports specific to Alberta (Canada). The second has, instead, an editable field where you can add your own, local resources. Please feel free to print, edit, and share!
research areas
DESIGN +
Design research contributes new knowledge that is actionable—beginning with an attempt to understand the present, grounded in an acknowledgement of the past that has shaped it, in order to define a better future and then figure out how to get to it from here, the present.
WICKED PROBLEMS
This is a category of problems (proposed by Rittel and Webber in the 1960s) that are messy, unsettling, complex, and ill-formulated. They contain confusing information, engage multiple stakeholders who hold conflicting values, and often result in confusing ramifications.
REFLECTION & ACCOUNTABILITY
“Know where you come from and know where your privileges are. If ‘all design is ideological’, as Dunne says, do take that statement seriously. Giving yourself the task to stop navel-gazing and to always second-guess your own decisions is not a shame. It is for the better, trust us.”
Pedro Oliveira and Luiza Prado