Engagement-Teaching-Civic: UNIque 'Art Store', Belfast design workshop, BDes Interior Design

Activity: Participating in or organising an eventOrganising a conference, workshop, ...

Description

In March 2017, Belfast Campus Provost Professor Raffaela Folli challenged Year 2 BDes Hons Interior Design students to imagine and propose design ideas for the new student-led ‘art shop’, UNIque, that was still to be established in an empty retail unit on the Belfast campus. Dr Golden, as Course Director for Interior Design, agreed to incorporate the design challeng into his Y2 Studio teaching as an opportunity for students to develop and present designs linked to a real-world problem on a real-world site, with real-world timescales; an added morale building showcase for staff and students during the first year of a 3-year Teach-Out. Over the course of the project students worked individually and collaboratively with students, tutors, and artists-in-residence from the School of Art to undertake 'client' consultations by running a Design Workshop open to all School of Art students and staff to share ideas on printed maps of the empty shop unit. Students then used that feedback to make proposals on everything from layout to fit-out and furnishings for a final design competition to determine the overall winner to go forward as the final installation, undertaken by Estates. A key part of the project was a trip to London with Dr Golden to see examples of exhibition spaces as well as different store layouts and designs. Students gave feedback that the active learning and visits along with the workshops enabled them to kick-start design processes. Overall the workshop combined outreach and innovation as an enjoyable learning experience for future projects.
Period3 Mar 20177 Apr 2017
Event typeWorkshop
LocationBelfast, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of RecognitionLocal