Events
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The DRS is hosting a workshop on the structural disadvantages in academic design publishing. see more
Following our call to hear from the design community about structural disadvantages in academic design publishing, the Design Research Society will host an online workshop to open the discussion to the public and identify key areas for improvement.
We are especially eager to connect with authors and editors who:
- Work in or support underrepresented regions of the world
- Publish with or for communities historically excluded from academic publishing
- Contribute to open-access or community-led journals
Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
This initiative is led by Dr. Fernando Secomandi, Managing and Senior Editor of the new journal Designing and a member of the International Advisory Council of the DRS.
Register here.
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Sounding Objects for Societal Impact: DRS SIG Symposium on Sound Driven Design 11-12 September. see more
DRS SIG Sound-driven Design has organised a two-day symposium (September 11 - 12, IRCAM, Paris) dedicated to exploring how sound can inform and transform design practices for societal good. Sound is a vital yet often overlooked dimension of our interactions with the world. It plays a key role in shaping human experiences, environmental awareness, and social cohesion. It influences human perception, urban and ecological systems, and cultural practices – yet it currently remains a gap in how sound is considered and integrated.
This symposium aims to bridge that gap through a multidisciplinary research dialogue, bringing together the sound and design research communities. We will investigate how systemic approaches to sound-driven design can help address the ways in which society influences and is influenced by sound.
Focus & Themes
This research-focused event will bring together experts in design and sound to explore how systemic approaches to sound-driven design can support societal transformation, through three main thematic sessions.
Each session will feature paired lectures and dialogues from design and sound experts, followed by facilitated thematic focus groups. Outcomes from these discussions will be considered for publication in the DRS Digital Library.
Day 1
1. Design Process and Methodology
Design intermediary / boundary objects
Jean-Francois Boujut, Institute of Engineering and Management of Grenoble INP - UGASonic Boundary Objects
Florian Grond, Concordia University2. Human-Technology Entanglement
Sonic Entanglements: Rethinking Human-Technology Relations Through Sound
Maria Luce Lupetti, Politecnico of TorinoPerspectives in Designing Movement-Sound Interaction
Frédéric Bevilacqua, IRCAM STMS LabDay 2
3. Societal Impact of Design
Ecologies of Making: A Question for Society
Émile De Visscher, CRD ENS Paris-Saclay Ensci Les AteliersLecture 3S - Sonic possibility and habitability
Salomé Voegelin, London College of Communication, University of the Arts4. Synthesis of interactive workshops and presentations
More info and registration via the link below:
https://www.ircam.fr/agenda/symposium-on-sound-driven-design/detail
Contacts for Inquiries: stefano.dellemonache@ircam.fr, nicolas.misdariis@ircam.fr
Sound Perception and Design Group, IRCAM STMS Lab (S. Delle Monache, N. Misdariis)
Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology (E. Özcan)
DRS Special Interest Group on Sound-Driven Design (S. Delle Monache, D. Hug, S. Lenzi, N. Misdariis, E. Özcan, S. Pauletto, D. Rocchesso, S. Spagnol) -
CfP She Ji SI: Design and AI: Learning, Adapting, Collaborating. see more
Submission deadline: 15 September 2025
We are calling for empirical studies applying quantitative or qualitative methods to examine learning to design with AI in organisations.
Special issue information:
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools require designers to acquire new skills and knowledge, and the field has recognised new demands through a strong conceptual understanding of the role of AI in design. However, the relative lack of empirical studies has led to more myth and uncertainty than to clear guidelines around how to best work with AI in design. The aim of this special issue, Design and AI: Learning, Adapting, Collaborating, is to empirically advance our understanding on how designers are able to successfully leverage AI as a tool, and perhaps as a partner. Empirical contributions to the issue may include high-quality studies investigating design topics at individual, collective, or organizational levels, and using quantitative or qualitative data and methods. Submissions are expected to address basic research beyond specific commercial applications, in categories of (1) Learning to collaborate in AI-Human teams, (2) Adapting to AI-Design Methods, (3) Acquiring AI-Design Skills and (4) AI-Design Training & Education.
Guest Editors
- Prof. Clark, American University, Kogod School of Business, Washington D.C., U.S.A.
- Prof. de Bont, National University of Singapore, College of Design and Engineering, Singapore
- D.Sc. Graff, Tongji University, College of Design & Innovation, Shanghai, China
Consulting Editor
- Prof. Fan, Tongji University, College of Design & Innovation, Shanghai, China
Background
AI refers to systems that display intelligent behaviour by analysing their environment and taking actions with some degree of autonomy to achieve specific goals. (European Commission, 2018)
The rapid recent advancements of AI, including natural and large language models (LLM) and related tools, enable designers to involve AI throughout the design process, as well as the potential impact on design process and outcomes. Many AI tools have been customized in the form of software applications that address specific tasks within the design field, potentially altering the way designers work. Design work therefore becomes a product of human and non-human efforts, at some level of collaboration. This perspective is recognised by adapting Jones (1970) definition of design as the activities of a human or machine in creating or contributing to the creation of physical or conceptual things. This characterisation builds on the idea that designers (i.e., who do the design work) can be machines or other forms of intelligence, in addition to the humans who traditional have done this work. It focuses also on the design outcome: physical or conceptual things rather than on the process (i.e., creative problem-solving).
Design is a broad field with many sub-branches. To provide some focus for this special issue, we identified four main areas of research interest on Design and AI: Learning, Adapting, Collaborating: (1) Learning to collaborate in AI-Human teams, (2) Adapting to AI-Design Methods, (3) Acquiring AI-Design Skills and (4) AI-Design Training & Education.
(1) Learning to collaborate in AI-Human Teams is concerned with AI as a team member rather than just a tool for designing. While academics theorise that combining respective strengths in AI-Human Collaboration is likely to be more impactful than solely human or machine work (Song et al., 2020), research to date has shown mixed results (e.g. Wilson & Daugherty, 2018, Zhang et al., 2021). Papers for this special issue could further advance our understanding by, for example, investigating if traditional team models, such as transactive memory system, or shared mental models, or adaptation (Rico, Gibson, Sanchez-Manzanares, & Clark, 2020) remain relevant within AI-Human Collaboration.
(2) Adapting to AI-Design Method is concerned with tools use during the design process. Many AI applications, such as ChatGPT4 or others can be used by the designers during designing (i.e. research, ideation, prototyping, or implementation). Designers have little guidance on how to use AI with existing design tools (cf. Clark & Graff, 2025). In some respects, we are in a similar situation as designers in the 1970s when there was little to no guidance for product designers (Jones, 1970). Papers concerned with AI-Design methods could, for example, introduce new design methods or identify current AI-design methods used and their impact on the design outcome. Papers describing and illustrating the effectiveness of a specific AI tool are excluded from this special issue.
(3) Acquiring AI-Design Skills recognises that the skill set of a designer must potentially adapt for AI & design. Whereas some skills might be less relevant in the future, new skills are required to be able to use AI (e.g., writing prompts). Papers of this type, for example, could explore and examine the skills that may lead to a better understanding and use of AI. What are the important skills and how do designers acquire those skills? What effect has the use of AI (e.g., sketching AI) on traditional design skills and what are the potential consequences?
(4) AI-Design Training & Education focuses on AI-design skills and capacity building. In contrast to which new design skills are required, this area is concerned with how designers can acquire these new AI-design skills. This focus may include professional designers in organisational settings as well as design students in academic context. Papers concerned with teaching AI-design skills in academic context could, for example, focus on how AI can support teachers (e.g., Meron & Tekmen Araci, 2023), or specific course content (e.g., Huang, Wensveen, & Funk, 2023). Submissions with a focus on AI-design skills training might look at how organisations can up- and re-skill their design workforce.
Aim and Scope
We are calling for empirical studies applying quantitative or qualitative methods to examine learning to design with AI in organisations. Studies that are exclusively theoretical/conceptual or opinion statements are outside the scope of this special issue. A study must align with at least one of the four core themes identified above.
Proposed Timeline (Tentative Deadlines)
May 10, 2025: open call
May 20, 2025: submission portal opened
September 15, 2025: deadline for submission
January 15, 2026: author notification
March 31, 2026: deadline for revised submission
April 20, 2026: final decision notification
June 30, 2026: publication date *
* The final publication date is tentatively set but may be extended to September 30, 2026, based on the actual production timelines.
Additional Information and Queries
Mark Clark, mark.clark@american.edu
Cees de Bont, debont@nus.edu.sg
Daniel Graff, danielgraff@tongji.edu.cn
Manuscript submission information:
Short Special Issue Name
SI: Design and AI: Learning, Adapting, Collaborating
Editorial Manager URL
https://www.editorialmanager.com/sheji/default.aspxReferences
Clark, M. A. & Graff, D. (forthcoming 2025). AI & Design Collaboration: Not a Full Member (Yet). In S. Paletz & S. S. Dubrow, Research on Managing Groups and Teams: AI in Teams. Emerald Publishing.
Dorst, Kees; Dijkhuis, Judith (1995). Comparing paradigms for describing design activity. Design Studies. 16 (2): 261–274. doi:10.1016/0142-694X(94)00012-3.
European Commission, Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology. (2018). Communication from the commission to the EUROPEAN parliament, the EUROPEAN council, the council, the European economic and social committee and the committee of the regions artificial intelligence for Europe.
Gmeiner, F. Yang, H., Yao, L., Holstein, K., & Martelaro, N. (2023). Exploring Challenges and Opportunities to Support Designers in Learning to Co-create with AI-based Manufacturing Design Tools. In Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’23), April 23–28, 2023, Hamburg, Germany. doi.org/10.1145/3544548.3580999
Hernández-Ramírez, Rodrigo, and João Batalheiro Ferreira. 2024. ‘The Future End of Design Work: A Critical Overview of Managerialism, Generative AI, and the Nature of Knowledge Work, and Why Craft Remains Relevant’. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation 10(4): 414–40. doi.org/10.1016/j.sheji.2024.11.002.
Huang, Y.-C. J., Wensveen, S., & Funk, M. (2023). Experiential speculation in vision-based AI design education: Designing conventional and progressive AI futures. International Journal of Design, 17(2), 1-17. doi.org/10.57698/v17i2.01
Jones, John Chris. 1970. Design Methods: Seeds of Human Futures. Wiley-Interscience.
Meron Y., & Tekmen Araci, Y. (2023). Artificial intelligence in design education: evaluating ChatGPT as a virtual colleague for post-graduate course development. Design Science, 9, e30. doi:10.1017/dsj.2023.28
Rico, R., Gibson, C., Sanchez-Manzanares, M., & Clark, M. A. (2020). Team adaptation and the changing nature of work: Lessons from practice, evidence from research, and challenges for the road ahead. Australian Journal of Management, 45(3), 507-526. doi.org/10.1177/0312896220918908
Song, B., Zurita, N. S., Zhang, G., Stump, G., Balon, C., Miller, S., et al. (2020). Toward hybrid teams: A platform to understand human-computer collaboration during the design of complex engineered systems. In Proceedings of the design society: DESIGN conference, Vol. 1, pp. 1551-1560. Cambridge University Press.
Wilson, H. J., & Daugherty, P. R. (2018). Collaborative intelligence: Humans and AI are joining forces. Harvard Business Review, 96, 114-123.
Zhang, G., Raina, A., Cagan, J., & McComb, C. (2021). A cautionary tale about the impact of AI on human design teams. Design Studies, 72, doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2021.100990.
Why publish in this Special Issue?
- Special Issue articles are published together on ScienceDirect, making it incredibly easy for other researchers to discover your work.
- Special content articles are downloaded on ScienceDirect twice as often within the first 24 months than articles published in regular issues.
- Special content articles attract 20% more citations in the first 24 months than articles published in regular issues.
- All articles in this special issue will be reviewed by no fewer than two independent experts to ensure the quality, originality and novelty of the work published.
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Exhibition — OA2025 Crosscutting and Fusion of Disciplines see more
OPEN CALL
Call for Contributions is now open.
EXHIBITION
(INTERNATIONAL, JURIED WITH AWARDS, OPEN CALL)3–17 December 2025
Gallery of Science and Technology of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade, Serbia
Djure Jakšića 2, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaSUBMIT YOUR CONTRIBUTION
Send 70–100 words text description with title, authors names and two illustrations
⟶ via Exhibition Form or email info@strand.rs by 10 July 2025Established in 2016, the MicroMacro awards are dedicated to the recognition of design solutions in innovative ways that successfully implement new standards in architecture and urban design and planning and encourage environmental sustainability.
Who can enter?
The competition is open to individuals and organizations in the fields of architecture, urban planning, design, history, technology, art, photography, new media art and to all geographical locations.Who can submit a nomination?
If you are an organization, an association, a not-for-profit or an individual you can nominate. You can self-nominate or nominate another organization.Themes?
International exhibition follows the Conference thematic blocks: Phenomenology of Architecture, Science & Technology and Architecture, Architecture and New Media approach, Showcase Presentations – new idea or project realization in Architecture, Urban Design or Art.,Vision of the City/Architecture –from capturing moments of city life towards utopias in a form of artistic drawing, design, photography, design product…We kindly invite the perspective architects, town planners and artist to submit their projects, drawings, and photographs that respond to the scope of the above listed topics.
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Conference — OA2025 Crosscutting and Fusion of Disciplines see more
OPEN CALL
Call for Contributions is now open.
CONFERENCE
(INTERNATIONAL, PEER-REVIEWED, OPEN CALL)4–5 December 2025
Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade, Serbia
Knez Mihailova 35, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaSUBMIT YOUR CONTRIBUTION
Send 250–300 words abstract with title, authors names and up to 6 keywords
⟶ via Conference Form or email info@strand.rs by 10 July 2025CONCEPT
On Architecture — Crosscutting and Fusion of Disciplines is based on the concept of an interdisciplinary, international, multi-location conference, with two exhibitions and a panel.
OA2025 would bring together partner institutions, representatives from both academia and industry, from different parts of the world, working together on organization and realization of the event. The motivation of holding a multiplaces conference, in several places at the same time, is the knowledge exchange, dissemination of research results and possible interaction and implementation aimed at stakeholders and sponsors. This is why the principle of networking is key.
Another principle of interdisciplinarity underlines the complexity and multiplicity of architecture, as well as the new challenges facing architects, urban designers, and artists. An interdisciplinary approach is the basis for defining thematic blocks/topics which include the essential approaches to the subject of architecture, innovative projects that impose new approaches and challenges, such as innovations in building materials, design and technology, which contribute to new aesthetics and a different understanding of functionalism, as well as architecture whose backbone is always creativity and art.
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The Scottish Design Workshop will take place on 29th August 2025 at the University of Strathclyde. see more
The Scottish Design Workshop will take place on Friday 29th August 2025 at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.
Building upon the success of the Clive L. Dym Mudd Design Workshop, and the Canadian Design Workshop. Our aim is to grow an interconnected network across the globe.
The Scottish Design Workshop will bring together academics, practitioners, and others to discuss design and engineering issues. This one-day event with focus on the development of joint research proposals to tackle the most urgent and systemic challenges of today.
This workshop will support academics at all levels of their career to:
- Build their local, national and international network
- Learn from more experienced peers in preparing for and managing research projects
- Develop a professional profile through leadership and mentorship opportunities, and
- Collaborate beyond established networks to tackle wicked problems.
The workshop will focus on three challenge topics being: Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability and Healthcare within the engineering design context. Each topic workshop will last one hour thirty with varied formats encouraging the discussion of joint research ideas.
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