Conference Agenda

Design professionals are inherently translators due to the multi-faceted nature of the design process that often encompasses considerations of technologies, manufacturing, materials, etc. In investigating the emerging practice of 'materials designers', it has been found that they must develop strong 'translational design skills' to address a material-driven design process when collaborations with diverse stakeholders exist. Especially to create new materials and products or to obtain exclusive material features and experiences. Through a real-life case study on developing a circularity-oriented material from waste, this paper articulates translational design practice in materials design, highlighting its relevance in the design process. The study was unfolded through observations and participation in a product design company and by interviewing the design manager within the project. Based on the results, translational design skills in materials design practice are emphasized, and translational design recommendations are proposed for accelerating the successful materials design process in complex collaborations.

Designers are often positioned as mediators or interpreters, working between disciplines and stakeholders to frame and address problems. This quality is particularly desired when a product transitions from one implementation to another. Translational designers assist this process through critical activities such as navigating differing domain knowledge and balancing conflicting values or cultures between stakeholders. We argue the primary outcome of translational design is not necessarily an artifact but the translation of knowledge across disciplines for decision-making. Our research explains and shows how information visualization can translate meaning within a group of experts familiar with the same topic and between a group of experts with differing expertise. In collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo SpA - Innovation & Process team, we present Processes Map, an interactive information visualization that assists users with better understanding the distribution of activities and associated risks across an organization to contribute to the developing literature on ‘translational design practices.’

In design-driven research and development projects, one of the biggest challenges is to make the different roles speak the same language. In this paper, along with a real project concerning the UX enhancement of smartphone touch-based gestures, we found designers and developers possessed their familiar skills and tools, but lacked understanding of each other's work, especially when designers encountered developers' work. Therefore, we propose the 5Fs model, elucidating how touch-based gesture interaction is constructed through different roles' involvement. The 5Fs layer was identified, relating work content to UX, including Hardware Feature, Coding Frame, Function Matching, Visual Feedforward, and Modal Feedback. The evaluation interviews showed the model could foster mutual understanding, by helping to build framework perceptions and clarify responsibilities and workflows, also indicating the potential to develop a practical translation approach to support collaboration.

Research through Design (RtD) is a maturing research methodology in Design and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), in which design actions are used as a means to conduct research. This way of doing research holds promise for creating transdisciplinary results but it comes with challenges. Research and design are similar in that both aim to create something new. However, depending on a project’s context, there may be different expectations about what that something new is, spanning from generalized knowledge to localized solutions. In this paper we discuss two PhD projects in the healthcare sector and reflect on three challenges encountered by the PhD researchers: (1) navigating the dual aim of designing interventions and generating academic knowledge, (2) balancing the creation of prototypes as products for use and objects of inquiry, and (3) effectively collaborating with stakeholders in complex and sensitive settings.

In the evolving landscape of public sector digital transformation, the integration of design thinking and stakeholder engagement presents a pressing challenge and a valuable opportunity. As a response to this challenge, there is a growing interest in the implementation of training programs within the theoretical framework of translational practices. This study adopts an organisational lens and an analytical framework to look into three instances of design translation in multi-stakeholder ecosystems. Drawing insights from a three-year exploration, it examines the dynamics within two ecosystems: the multidisciplinary and multi-operational partners responsible for designing and executing the training program, and the program participants. By investigating these instances, this study sheds light on favourable or hindering circumstances in the transition of design to the public sector digital transformation within collaborative, multi-stakeholder environments.

Abstract: This manuscript presents the first set of insights from the reflection on a case study which involved early-stage design-biology interactions in a collaboration between two PhD candidates - a designer and a biochemist - investigating the potential of the Webbing Clothes Moth enzymes to support novel approaches for the deconstruction of wool in the context of bio-based processing for the circular economy. From the interview and reflective practice on the collaboration a novel concept emerged, common sedimented ways of knowing, which we define as shared approaches that have been acquired independently through previous experiences during the lifetime of an individual. This concept enabled proximity between the two collaborators, here taking the form of visualisations to support the dialogue on complex discipline-specific content and its delivery to a public audience.This paper demonstrates that a translational dimension can emerge in early stage design-biology collaborations despite the infancy of the PhD candidates research.