At times of radical change and uncertainty, the RCA IDE designers of the future are responding with a wide array of thoughtful improvements to the way we live. I was fortunate to take part and work with a great team and students at IDE this year. The RCA and Imperial College joint program is a pioneering design and science hybrid that enables a unique new design workflow.
It has been wonderful to see students using rich conceptual and technological approaches. The work this year has touched on nearly every element of our way of life in the current urban landscape. This includes designing new services to improve living while coping with mental health challenges, coming up
with alternative sources of energy, connecting physical with virtual working environments, while proposing new ‘slim’ industrial aesthetics.
The materials IDE students have been working with, reflect the fast changes in the reality we live in. We can see narratives of hope and narratives of dystopia operating side by side. The ability to understand and use chemistry and biology, together with elements of data and computer science, is bringing a new colour and richness to design processes and strategies.
As we move forward together in time, the designer’s toolbox and array of responsibilities grows. While the understanding and embodiment of science into the design process brings great opportunities and efficiencies, the invaluable elements of playfulness, elegance and aesthetics remain at the heart of the universal design language.
Assa Ashuach
