Digital Play - 3rd May - Munich

By the use of more and more complex building automation and communication technologies architecture increasingly turns into adaptive systems, which react to the environment and the user. Architects and designers have to use these technologies also as a design medium and develop a digital sensuality which is more than the simulation of our physical environment.

At the occasion of the launch of the book Digital Utopia, We-are-plan-A is organising an evening talk at the Technical University of Munich entitled Digital Play. Together with´Fabian Hemmert (Design Research Lab, Berlin), Conny Freyer (Troika, London) and Dr. Silke Claus (bayern design), I will address the playful and sensual experiences and possibilites offered by digital technologies.

 This evening is the last of a total of 4-part series of events linked to the publicaiton of "Digital Utopia - On dynamic architectures, digital sensuality and spaces of tomorrow" to be released in May 2012 by the Academy of Arts, Berlin.

Persistent Modelling Seminar

 Wednesday 2 May 2012, 10h-16h30

Marking the publication of the title Persistent Modelling by Routledge, edited by Phil Ayres, this seminar draws together members of CITA and current CITA collaborators who have contributed to the book.

The seminar will examine and discuss the relationship between representation and the represented through the notion of persistent modelling. This notion is not novel to the activity of architectural design if considered as describing an iterative engagement with design concerns – and evident characteristic of architectural practice. But the persistence in persistent modelling can also be understood to apply in other ways, reflecting and anticipating extended roles for representation.

Drawing upon both historical and contemporary perspectives this seminar will discuss ways in which the relation between representation and the represented have, and continue to be, reconsidered. Through the presentations three principle areas will be identified in which extended roles for representation are becoming apparent within contemporary practices contributing to realisation of the built environment:

• the duration of active influence that representation can hold in relation to the represented
• the means, methods and media through which representations are constructed and used
• what it is that is being represented 

 In addition, this seminar will provide critical insight into the use of contemporary modelling tools and methods together with an examination of the implications their use has within the territories of architectural design, realisation and experience.

Venue

The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts – School of Architecture

Auditorium 3

Philip de Langes Alle 10

1435 Copenhagen

 Denmark

Speakers:

Phil Ayres (CITA)

Sarat Babu (Bartlett, UCL)

Prof. Mark Burry (SIAL, RMIT)

Dr. Rachel Cruise (University of Sheffield)

Paul Nicholas (CITA)

Brady Peters (CITA)

Martin Tamke (CITA)

Prof. Mette Ramsgard Thomsen (CITA)

The seminar programme can be found here.

This is a public event, all are welcome.

Please register by email to phil.ayres@kadk.dk

Smart Geometry

Smart geometry is a key event in the field of architecture. 'To the new generations of designers, engineers and architects, mathematics and algorithms are becoming as natural as pen and pencil. Smartgeometry promotes the emergence of this new paradigm in which digital designers and craftsmen, are able to intelligently exploit the combination of digital and physical media taking projects from design right through to production.'

This year the event is hosted by CITA in Copenhagen from 28th of March until 2dn of April. The event is organized around a series of workshops and conferences time, including the following speakers:

Ben van Berkel UN Studio

Usman Haque Haque Design + Research Studio

Billie Faircloth KieranTimberlake Director of Research

Craig Schwitter + Gijs Libourel Buro Happold + Adaptive Building Initiative

Lisa Amini IBM Smarter City Lab, Dublin

Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen Head of Center for Information Technology and Architecture (CITA)

Find out more about the exciting programme on smart geometry.

My Crowdsoucing / Crowdvoting Experiment!

My Entry 2010

I am participating in a little project inspired and driven by my research project. As well as exploring co-design concepts for fashion and textile design, I am really inspired by social networking and new technology. Therefore I have set myself a 'crowdsourcing / crowdvoting' challenge and would love you to participate!

Crowdsoucing is an act of outsourcing tasks to the crowd through an open call for participation. The designs produced are openly revealed to the pubic who can cast votes and submit comments.

"Talenthouse is a platform providing opportunities to the world’s creative community – a place to participate in unique projects with artists and brands, collaborate, gain recognition and compensation."

I have submitted a fashion design concept for their creative invite to design a stage outfit for Florence from Florence and the Machine.

The Process

Stage 1: Create a design concept and submit

Stage 2: Gather support

Stage 3: Collect votes

Stage 4: Voting closes

Stage 5: the votes are counted

Stage 6: the top ten awarded a runner's up prize

Stage 7: the final five are sent to the artist who chooses the winner!

How it Works: all participants need to gather a bit of a following... they can use twitter, facebook, google news and email to promote their design and invite people to support them within this process. So, I have uploaded my design and am now working on stage two - gathering support!

If you would like to participate and support me during this experiment visit my Talenthouse and click the 'support jen' button. Stage three: voting, begins tomorrow and all supporters will be invited to vote via email or facebook!

I am going to blog about my progress and the experience itself throughout the duration of the week.

Will it be easy to collect votes or will I fail miserably... how will be design be received... do people love/hate it? It is officially out my my control and in your hands...

View my submission and show your support

The Future of Publishing - Created by DK (UK)

Short and sweet presentation with a twist be sure to watch it, to the end! It was produced by Penguin for an internal conference but then released into the public realm as everyone loved it. 

Online Live Design Debate

To reg for the online webcast go to the design council website

Fashion Comes to Life

Fashion Label Cassette Playa launched a t-shirt collection with a difference designed by Carri Munden in collaboration with the Digital Fashion Studio at London College of Fashion . The T-shirts have a small symbol similar to a barcode integrated into the graphic print.

Munden stated that “Cassette Playa is all about mixing reality and fantasy.” When viewed through a webcam or mobile phone they come to life through Augmented Reality - AR. This technology allows video, text and graphics to become animated to change shape and form.


Digital media is playing a significant role within London Fashion Week. The majority of the catwalk shows have been streamed live on via the internet with twitter integrated into their web platform. This supports a fashion dialogue and opens the arena up - to everyone!

Burberry have built a Marquee in the parade ground here at Chelsea and their catwalk collection will hit the runway in 3D! Want a front row seat? Visit London Fashion Week at 16.00 (3D glasses not provided)

Fashion 2.0 | Suzy Menkes on the Growing Influence of Fashion Blogs

On Fashionblogs from Mary Scherpe on Vimeo.

ISEA 09

I am off to Belfast, Ireland this week to  the International Symposium of Electronic Art 09 where I will be presenting my first academic paper! 

The ISEA is a non profit organisation promoting interdisciplinaritythrough academic discourse and promoting a dialogue through the disciplines of art, design, science and emerging technologies.

I will be presenting in the third Interactive Textiles category which explores collaboration, cross-disciplinarity and consumption. My paper reviews participatory design methods for fashion support by digital media and sustainability will be a central theme throughout my presentation.

I'm really excited to be attending this event as they have some really amazing key note speakers lined up.  Clive van Heerden , the Senior Director of Design-Led Innovation at Philips and responsible for leading the Philips Design Probes program will be presenting on Wednesday and Thursday will host  Moritz Waldemeyer, the engineer behind Hussein Chalayan's futuristic fashion creations. 

The are a series of Fashion and Textiles sessions exploring time and form, materiality and wearability and lastly, adoption and collaboration, cross disciplinarity and consumption.

And that's just a summary of the Textile categories, there are many more presentations and workshops within other disciplines. I cant wait to experience this action packed week!  

Running parallel to this digital exploration I am going to try out another digital experience  - twitter! I will try my hand at some micro blogging photos and comments live from ISEA09 for the duration of the week... visit my "considerate clothing blog' or sew considerate on twitter for updates.

Bye, bye and tweet to you later!

LCF Schway Graduate Collection

As part of my PhD research project I am exploring how digital media can be used to engage with fashion to promote sustainability. I have been trying and testing current technology and exploring alternatives.

Schway is an interactive fashion website that allows you to mix and match clothing. The application is designed to allow users to create new looks, share with friends via facebook and email and purchase through facilitated links to subscribed retailers online shops.

I was really excited to hear about further developments... a collaboration with London College of Fashion! This partnership has allowed students to present their final collections to the digital world in an interactive format.

Dr Julia Wolny, Course Leader at LCF and online fashion marketing expert stated that Schway provided the students with an excellent online platform to showcase their talent. With the online fashion sales growth far exceeding that of the traditional stores, we are looking to provide a digital experience that lets consumers co-create their look from the beautiful pieces our students have created.

This online showcase will be live until 30Th September but the collaborative relationship between Schway and LCF is growing. The next project will involve the whole Part Time portfolio of courses, including Fashion Business and Fashion Media, showcasing a sustainable collection developed as part of a DEFRA initiative.

As digital media evolves our fashion experiences are changing and I think this is a really exciting way of exhibiting work in a non traditional format. I cant wait to see how the new project transforms.

The "Google Generation" of Today

The Guardian posted an interesting article on their website today about the use of virtual technologies within Universities.

The article stated that 75% of students are subscribed to a least one social network and spend at least four hours a day online. As technology is evolving rapidly and students are becoming more web savvy - will universities struggle to keep up?

With an increase in blogging, social networking and the phenomenon of new micro blogging site twitter, people are becoming better connected. This peer to peer exchange encourages a dialogue between people, allowing them to form communities to share knowledge, skills and expertise.

"Students aren't just passive consumers of content. They need to be able to evaluate it and should be creating it themselves," Brian Kelly, University of Bath

The article makes some interesting points and presents some example's of digital media being used within universities in the UK.  There is also a link to a report on higher education by Sir David Melville.