25 March 2009
Microsoft call for Dundee Design students
Design students at the University of Dundee have been selected for the second year running as the UK's sole representatives in the Microsoft Design Expo, a major international competition which features some of the most prestigious design schools in the world.
The Dundee students are drawn from the University's unique courses in Product Design and Interactive Media Design. They will be joined at the Microsoft event by other renowned courses around the world, including the School of Design from Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh; Universidad Iberoameriana, in Mexico City; the University of Washington's Interaction Design Division; and the Interactive Telecommunications Program from New York University.
"It is an amazing achievement for Dundee to be invited back for a second year as the sole UK representative," said Dr Jon Rogers, leader of the Product Design course at Dundee.
"This is a global event for design students and there is a lot of competition to get involved. It is great recognition of the quality of the courses we offer and the standards our students have set, including the teams who worked on the Microsoft project last year and who clearly made a great impression."
A team from Dundee travelled to Microsoft's Research Facility in Redmond, Washington, last summer to take part in the 2008 Design Expo. Their presentation of a 'Storymaker/Storyteller' machine, which enabled users to combine pictures and commentary to create stories, won high praise from Microsoft's judges, who described it as a `wonderful project'.
The Design Expo creates a forum for encouraging imaginative yet realistic ideas, by exploring students' visions for the future of computing with particular users in mind.
This year the Dundee students will work to the brief of 'Networked Objects for Grandpeople', where they will be challenged to design very simple products, nonetheless enabled by internet technology, for their grandparents.
Microsoft is providing a forum around the theme "New Ways of Working" to showcase exceptional design process and ideas, with students asked to design a working prototype. They will explore how diverse 'networked objects' might enable people beyond conventional retirement age to stay involved with work in some way. These individuals could benefit from not just an income but also the social interaction that can be so missed when people retire. Furthermore, the economy, adjusting to huge demographic changes, could benefit from the value of their wisdom and experience.
"This is a great project because it sets a tough challenge for all of our second year students in Interactive Media Design and Product Design so early on in their education here," said Graham Pullin, lecturer in Interactive Media Design at the University. "Each team is asked to involve their chosen grandparent throughout, develop an idea right through to the prototype stage and then pitch it as if they are a commercial 'start-up' company. Microsoft will see all the projects developed at Dundee and then pick the best one to go to Redmond, so even for those who don't make it to the final stage there is still valuable exposure to this influential business - and potential employer.
"It is just the sort of challenge the students love. We have invested in facilities and expertise - with projects like the Product Design Research Studio and Interactive Media Design's unique position across the School of Computing and Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design - to prepare our students for exactly the sort of `real-world' challenge that Microsoft are setting. The fact our students did so well last year and have now been asked back speaks of the quality and relevance of our design courses."
Roddy Isles
Head of Press
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN.
TEL: 01382 384910
MOBILE: 07800 581902
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
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