This is your opportunity to influence the leadership of your society, by voting in new members to the DRS International Advisory Council. Every two years, 10 places become available on the council. 13 DRS members have put themselves forward to be International Advisory Council members. You can vote now, until 11.59 BST on Wednesday 8th June 2022.

The results will be announced on Friday 10th June 2022.  

For your vote to count in the DRS council elections you must be a fully paid-up member of the DRS. All members eligible to vote will receive an email from the Opavote voting system with instructions on how to vote for their preferred candidates. Voting is fully anonymised.

The candidate statements are available here.

Nominated Candidates

The 14 candidates below, listed alphabetically, are standing for election to the International Advisory Council. All candidates are full-members of the DRS, have been nominated by one other full-member, and have the support of their institution.

Kristina Andersen
Cecilia Landa-Avila
Paulina Contreras Correa
Hua Dong 
Martyn Evans 
Laura Forlano 
Colin M. Gray 
Robert Harland 
Tincuta Heinzel 
Sara Lenzi
Alejandra Poblete Pérez
Scott Schmidt
Christian Wölfel

The candidate statements are available here.

About the International Advisory Council

The International Advisory Council (IAC) will be the main advisory body within the new DRS Governance Structure. The International Advisory Council works with a 5-person Executive Board—formed from the International Advisory Council—in delivering strategy over the coming years. The IAC will meet once a year face-to-face and will operate through working groups, meeting online and liaising with the Executive Board throughout the year.

IAC members will help develop policy, work on specific projects, and enhance the range of activities offered by the DRS to strengthen the network of existing design researchers and nurture the development of new researchers.

IAC Members are elected for a period of six years, with the possibility of a two-year extension. Following election, IAC Members will be eligible to stand for the Executive Board that will manage the week-to-week working of the Society. The Executive Board consists of: Chair of the Society, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and one other Member. IAC Members will also be eligible to stand for the position of Chair of the International Advisory Council.

Further Information

DRS elections are run independently, using the Opavote system, by the DRS Administrator. If you would like any further information about the elections please contact the DRS Administrator Clare Readman admin@designresearchsociety.org.

Equal Opportunities

The DRS celebrates and supports diversity for the benefit of our members, our services, and our community. The DRS is proud to promote equal opportunities in all the activities that it organizes and supports.

Reference Documents

Rules of the Society and Transition Plan 2020-2028
IAC Member Role Description 
EB Member Role Description
Candidate Statements