Conference Agenda

Inclusive design aims to accommodate the widest range of users possible, within resource constraints. It involves conscious decision-making: who to include? This decision has important impact on the design process and outcomes. Ethics protocols and different methods and tools have been developed to involve older people, disabled people, children, migrants et al in the process; they are often referred to as ‘users’, ‘partners’, ‘co-designers’ – each reflecting a different relationship with the design team. Unique approaches such as ‘critical users’, ‘fix partners’, ‘designing for one, extending to many’ are used for inclusive design, with emerging discussions on AI as co-designers, and including more-than-human to extend care for people to planet. This keynote will share insights into who to include in the design process, how and why, and push thinking for future responsible design.

 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:

Professor Hua Dong is Director of Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art (RCA), the global leader of inclusive design research. She held a research post at University of Cambridge, and professorships at Tongji, Loughborough, and Brunel Universities (as the Inaugural Dean of Brunel Design School). She is the Vice Chair and Fellow of the Design Research Society, and Chairs an advisory committee for the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education’s Subject Benchmark Statement. Hua was awarded Engineering Heros: the 2021 Top 50 Women in Engineering by Women’s Engineering Society, and currently serves as Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation) of RCA.