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Themes

Cultures

Design is bound up with cultures, expression and creativity, but also contexts of various interests, aesthetics, use and interpretation.

We investigate different modes of designing. We work with various situations of situated use. Different means of expression and articulation comprise design and related research that have a cultural focus. This involves us in a mix of activities that range from close, detailed desinging around finding ways of achieving sensitive and engaging cultural expression to much broader sociocultural studies of desing and use that are grounded in historical, ethnographic and interpetative inquiry. Drawing on research theories and methods from the humanities and social sciences, we also orient these towards socio-technical practices. We extend this to emergent design expressions, including the performative shaping and uptake of design by individuals, stakeholder and communities. This incudes work with very real, current demands and potential. It also involves engaging with the speculative and imaginary and how it may be embodied in acts of designing for affective involvement and through our shared expression.