Changing Direction

You might notice that it’s more than 3 years since I posted in this blog. 

Around that time I moved from my previous role running the Art & Design Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University to running our teaching as Head of the Art and Design Department (being a New University it’s a dual economy so the two run in parallel) and I was also heading for retirement. So I decided that I would put my own research aside, focus my efforts on supporting my colleagues who were building up our programme of courses, and start thinking what I would do next after I retire.

“Next” has been here for a year now, I’ve become involved in much more personal local stuff including music and community based design and social action and I’d like to use this blog now to publish some commentary on design in action. Up till now I’ve tended to comment on research issues and been very aware of the problem of rigour, from now on I’ll give myself permission to let more of my personal values creep in but of course, once you are an academic it’s hard to forget your duty to truth.

My first post will come from my renewed interest in music, I’ve started playing and singing again after a 30 year layoff (since I learned to be a designer in fact) and one of the reasons I’m enjoying it so much is the unique and beautiful work of the Swiss luthier, Lukas Brunner. More soon.