The 2015 Design PhD Conference will be held July 2-3 in the LICA Building, Lancaster University. The conference will offer an opportunity to meet, exchange knowledge and ideas, and learn about the latest developments in design thinking, methods and research projects.
This year, the theme of the conference is "Better by Design: Environment, Society & Self." Design in the 21st century has a responsibility to address the critical issues affecting society and the natural environment while also striving to create more personally meaningful notions of material culture. The last century's ideas of progress and innovation yielded an ever-growing culture of waste, pollution and social inequity. This model still dominates our culture.
As populations grow and the natural environment continues to degrade, with little political will for substantive change, there is a need not only to develop new, better ways forward, but also to manifest and demonstrate alternative possibilities. The applied arts can play an important role in this arena in visualising a world that is Better by Design - better for the environment, better for society and better for each of us as individuals.
more: imagination.lancaster.ac.uk (99)