Inspired by Parallel Fields

There are two issues I’d like to reflect on, both emerging within emerging practice.

One is global networks and the other is design knowledge transfer. How are we going to inspire our student designers to dig up the new issues that will emerge in a few years time?

To start, a couple of key issues. Firstly, where do we go? What sources of inspiration should we go to to feed knowledge and what associated and parallel fields could we go to in terms of inspiring our ideas-based thinking?

Secondly, how can we engage with global networks and ideas that are shaping the geography of emerging creative practice?

I can give you some examples of some of the things that we’re doing.

Firstly we’re engaging with what we would call ‘provocateurs’, and this is both with them visiting us physically but also us engaging with them virtually and this is really important for us down in Cornwall. Voices that are talking about a bigger picture and really big issues, include Bruce Mau from Chicago, who we've spoken with, as well as I’m going to rattle these off, Kenya Hara studio in Tokyo, No Design who have offices in both Oslo and Berlin, Matt Pyke of Universal Everything, where we beamed into his Sheffield shed for a really interesting lecture And likewise, Sophie Thomas, where she would visit us but also we would visit her in Cornwall and the likes of Sir John Hegarty, who came to visit us – and we shared that with the broader University community and also other business and design companies throughout Cornwall.

Our role to inspire thinking and the development of design is really important, and absolutely crucial for Cornwall

Within that context, there is a need to think locally and try to set out some sense of vernacular, against the sort of homogenization of everything going on around us.

Because we were hoping to enthuse design thinking, we’ve also linked up with Adrian Shaughnessy and Tim Richards, design writers but also comedy writers pushing observational, humour, and Sir Tim Rice who was talking about narrative and identity. We've had military commanders talking about strategy, jazz musicians like Liane Carroll on the creative improvisation and also contemporary dance companies like Seascape on the use of the space.
We now are merging with Dartington School College of Art, so that’ll bring a performance based issue to our portfolio as well, which will mean some of that sort of broader interconnected thinking, can also happen.

Our role to inspire thinking and the development of design is really important, and absolutely crucial for Cornwall, so we can challenge beyond our horizons.

As a designer, latterly as Creative Partner of international design consultancy Lewis Moberly, his national and international award winning work, (he has been recipient of some 36 prizes – including D&AD’s Silver Pencil), has been much published. Bryan is course leader for MA Graphic Design at University College Falmouth. Alongside teaching and research, Bryan has been involved with consultancy and external examiner posts to Universities across the UK and Europe and has lectured for the Design Council, V&A, ICA, the British Council and D&AD. He has also sat on design juries for professional and student award schemes including those for D&AD and the RSA.