Research

ImaginationLancaster addresses complex contemporary challenges and opportunities by working across traditional university boundaries and linking disciplines.

We conduct applied and theoretical research into people, products, places and their interactions. We use innovative strategies that combine practice-based methods arising from design and the arts with science and social science methods. We address challenges such as climate change, urban density, an increasingly ageing society, health and wellbeing, inequalities in wealth within and across countries and continents, knowledge exchange, and rapid technological change.

Current Research Activities

A Practice-Based Approach to Design ResearchA Practice-Based Approach to Design Research A Practice-Based Approach to Design Research Exploring new creative directions in product design to include sustainable principles.
BARTERBARTER BARTER moBile sociAl netwoRking supporTing local Ethical tRading
BridgeBridge Bridge Bridging resources and agencies in large-scale emergency management
CaTalyST: Citizens Transforming Society (Tools for Change)CaTalyST: Citizens Transforming Society (Tools for Change) CaTalyST: Citizens Transforming Society (Tools for Change) This £1.5 million EPSRC funded 4 year project examines the role of new technology in citizen led ...
CheckinDJCheckinDJ CheckinDJ The first crowdsourcing jukebox to use NFC technolog.
Data ArtsData Arts Data Arts An investigation into emerging approaches to visualising, interpreting and using data.
DeEP: Design in European PoliciesDeEP: Design in European Policies DeEP: Design in European Policies Evaluating and Sharing Design Innovation Policies for European Growth
Design and Production for SustainabilityDesign and Production for Sustainability Design and Production for Sustainability Research into the nature and form of functional objects
Design PhD Conference 2013Design PhD Conference 2013 Design PhD Conference 2013 Design Research for Turbulent Times
DESIS UK NetworkDESIS UK Network DESIS UK Network Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability (DESIS) UK Network
Environment 2.0Environment 2.0 Environment 2.0 Investigating new forms of social sensing and participatory observation of local environment and climate.
HighWireHighWire HighWire Creating Innovative People for Radical Change
Liveable CitiesLiveable Cities Liveable Cities Transforming the Engineering of Cities for Global and Societal Wellbeing
London Creative and Digital FusionLondon Creative and Digital Fusion London Creative and Digital Fusion Ambitious £5m project to inspire and support growth in the digital industries
New IDEASNew IDEAS New IDEAS To develop, refine and disseminate highly innovative knowledge exchange approaches to local, academic and ...
PROUDPROUD PROUD People Researchers and Organisations Using Design for Co-Creation and Innovation. Working with designers, ...
SDR UK Network SDR UK Network SDR UK Network Developing a Network for Service Design Research in UK
Taking the Artwork HomeTaking the Artwork Home Taking the Artwork Home Digital Curation Through Mobile Augmented Reality
Telling Tales of Engagement: The Wray Broadband ProjectTelling Tales of Engagement: The Wray Broadband Project Telling Tales of Engagement: The Wray Broadband Project Scarebot and scARecrow Time Machine
The Creative ExchangeThe Creative Exchange The Creative Exchange Creating New Contexts for Growth in the Experience Economy
The Spirit of Design The Spirit of Design The Spirit of Design Research that expands understandings of sustainability to include notions of personal meaning that ...

Past Research Activities

Brief EncountersBrief Encounters Brief Encounters An AHRC Network project to explore new forms of collaborative design processes
Design2020Design2020 Design2020 The UK design industry in 2020
Design In PracticeDesign In Practice Design In Practice Flexibility and change for healthcare service providers
Free All Monsters!Free All Monsters! Free All Monsters! Location based iPhone game exploring user generated content
Geospatial Ontologies: PlaceGeospatial Ontologies: Place Geospatial Ontologies: Place Addressing ambiguity in geospatial concepts such as 'place'
Innovation Theory/PracticeInnovation Theory/Practice Innovation Theory/Practice Understanding through challenging: Innovation and Design
Innovation through Improved Service & DesignInnovation through Improved Service & Design Innovation through Improved Service & Design A series of 3 workshops aiming at introducing Design to manufacturing SMEs with a particular focus on the ...
Mapping Imagined PlacesMapping Imagined Places Mapping Imagined Places Mapping sense of place from literary poems and texts
New Interaction OrderNew Interaction Order New Interaction Order New(?) mobile behaviour in public spaces
Out of the box: assessment of cognitive and usability aspects of in-car navigation system useOut of the box: assessment of cognitive and usability aspects of in-car navigation system use Out of the box: assessment of cognitive and usability aspects of in-car navigation system use Inter-disciplinary project evaluating efficacy of navigational instructions in sat-navs
PAC-LANPAC-LAN PAC-LAN Worlds First NFC Mixed Reality Game
Structural IDEAS Exchange Structural IDEAS Exchange Structural IDEAS Exchange Research into the exchange of knowledge exchange structures rather than the exchange of knowledge itself.
The PLACE LabThe PLACE Lab The PLACE Lab Places and Spaces
Urban FuturesUrban Futures Urban Futures Sustainable Regeneration - from evidence-based urban futures to implementation

Latest Updates

Laser Cutting Masterclass

Event29 days ago
Laser Cutting Masterclass

22nd of April 2013, ImaginationLab

Laser cutters are extremely useful pieces of equipment and we use the PROUD laser cutter at least a few times a week. There is a danger though that they are used in only a basic way just to cut things.

We were lucky then to have the...Read full update

ScareBot goes to Wray Scarecrow Festival

ScareBot goes to Wray Scarecrow Festival

ScareBot unveiled at the 2013 Wray Scarecrow Festival

During the May bank holiday weekend our design and development of ScareBot was revealed at the 2013 Wray Scarecrow Festival. Standing nearly 2.5 meters tall ScareBot is an interactive digital scarecrow designed with the help of the children...Read full update

Conference Programme

The programme for the Design PhD Conference 2013 is now available.

We are pleased to announce the programme (downloadable below) for the Design PhD Conference 2013, including two great keynotes: - Design Research for Successful Business Futures by Dr Reon Brand, Senior Director Foresight...Read full update

ScareBot takes shape

ScareBot takes shape

Down in the lab scarebot rises from the slab!

Having spent Easter laser cutting the components for scarebot its great to see it taking shape from the workbench. The next stage will be wiring up the Android tablet, Raspberry Pi, and Arduino to power all the interactive components. ...Read full update

Hexagon Tool Available from New IDEAS

Hexagon Tool Available from New IDEAS

The New IDEAS Hexagon Tool is a tactile and versatile method for connecting together ideas in multiple directions during meetings, workshops and other events where knowledge needs to be exchanged.

The tool was developed as an alternative to post-it notes because we found that once the post-its...Read full update

2013 Design PhD Conference Announced

Upcoming Eventin 29 days
2013 Design PhD Conference Announced

20th of June 2013, Lancaster University, UK

The Design PhD Conference, now in its 5th year, is jointly presented by ImaginationLancaster at Lancaster University and the School of Design at Northumbria University. The conference, alternately hosted by each institution, will be held...Read full update