25 July 2008

Dundee design students take story technology to Microsoft

A team of design students from the University of Dundee will take their latest project - a unique storytelling/storymaking machine - to Microsoft’s world HQ next week.

The Dundee students - drawn from the University’s unique interdisciplinary courses in Innovative Product Design & Interactive Media Design - are the UK’s sole representatives in the Microsoft Design Expo 2008, being held in Redmond, just outside Seattle.

They are participating alongside designs schools from the US, China, India, Mexico, and the Netherlands in the annual challenge set by the computing giant. This is the first time that the University of Dundee has been invited to participate in the Expo.

The brief set by Microsoft this year was in the area of learning and education, encouraging design solutions that improve the daily life of a wide variety of users, from promoting creativity and curiosity in new topics, to demonstrating novel ways of providing instruction, to rethinking education systems and tools.

The Dundee team of Natalie Montgomery (20), Lee Murray (19), Neil Dawson (19) and Joanna Montgomery (20) have responded to the challenge by developing their `Storymaker/Storyteller’ machine, which enables users to combine pictures and commentary to create stories.

"The thinking behind the machine was inspired by my grandfather, Donald Aitken, who was a former head of the British School in Tehran," explained Neil. "He has a vast library of pictures held on slides, and there are some great stories behind them.

"We thought, why not create a machine that makes it easy to tie those pictures and stories together and we came up with the Storymaker/Storyteller device."

The students have designed and built a working prototype which they will take to the USA this weekend.

"Microsoft’s brief focused on the idea of networked objects, machines which can effectively speak to each other," said Natalie. "Ours is aimed to encouraging communication between older people and younger generations, relaying the stories they can pass down. This works by using two machines - one to put the stories together and at the other end a receiver which can project them."

Mr Aitken has worked closely with the students, providing detailed voiceovers linking some of his thousands of slides.

"This has been a great project to work on and the fact that it is Microsoft has given everyone a real buzz," said Lee.

"We are only in our second year at the University, so this is a great way to mark the halfway point of our degree," said Joanna.

The project builds on previous links built between the University and Microsoft, which has in the past taken IPD graduates on much-prized summer internships.

"Our courses in Innovative Product Design and Interactive Media Design - and the close relationship they enjoy - put the University of Dundee in a unique position within the United Kingdom to tackle challenges such as those set by the Microsoft Design Expo," said Polly Duplock, programme leader for the IPD course.

"Getting to work with companies of the standing of Microsoft adds extra excitement for the students and they have responded really well."

The students leave for the United States on Friday and will present their project to Microsoft during the Expo on Monday and Tuesday of next week.

Lili Cheng, Group Manager at Microsoft Research, said, "Microsoft Research is delighted to provide a forum where young designers, from top schools around the world, prototype solutions addressing real-life opportunities.

"This year's topic is learning and education, and students explore areas such as managing time and money, learning through play, and learning for all life stages. It is energising and wonderful to showcase high quality, deep ideas from so many different perspectives."

NOTES TO EDITORS
The students are from: Belfast (Natalie Montgomery) Elgin (Lee Murray) Kincardine, Fife (Neil Dawson) Edinburgh (Joanna Montgomery).

The Innovative Product Design course at Dundee combines study within Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design and in the School of Engineering, Physics and Mathematics. Interactive Media Design is a collaboration between Duncan of Jordanstone College and the School of Computing. This unique blend of disciplines gives students the wide range of tools to meet the design challenges of the 21st century.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
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University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
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E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk