Dott Cornwall is a programme of design-led community engagement projects starting in Summer 2009 in Cornwall and running until November 2010. This programme is a result of a Partnership developed between the Design Council, Cornwall Council and University College Falmouth to drive the development of new solutions to social and economic challenges and involve communities in designing new local services.
The Design Council is involved in helping to steer the subjects tackled by the Dott projects and appoint key people to run Dott and the projects. Robert O'Dowd worked on Dott 07 as executive producer and he returns to hold the same role for Dott Cornwall. Andrea Siodmok used to be the Design Council's Chief Design Officer, now at Dott she is Programme Director.
Dott is an innovative programme which uses design to drive the development of new solutions to UK social and economic challenges and involves communities in designing local services.
Keep up to date with what's happening in Dott Cornwall by visiting www.dottcornwall.com
On that site they are currently asking vistors to take pictures of things they think represents 'Designs of the time' in Cornwall. All you have to do it upload an image of design in Cornwall with a short description to one of four categories: Lives, Designs, Places or Talents. Unleash your creativity and ingenuity, you could even win a prize.
Dott is running a series of practical design projects based in Cornwall during 2009/10 that will explore how design can help create a more sustainable and inclusive society.
Its unique approach brings lots of different people together to design, develop and prototype new solutions to a wide range of problems that have local, national and international significance.
Here are just a few of the projects Dott will be working on:
- Eco design challenge, a schools project running across Cornwall
- Designing Communities, looking at youth services in Pengegon
- Living Well, developing new ideas for sustainable living
- New transport, working to re-design the A3047 as a sustainable transport corridor
- Cornwall Works Care 50+, understanding care needs for an ageing population
- Cornwall Works 50+, helping older people stay in work longer
- RSA Design Directions, design for social inclusion project
- Design and innovation, helping people remain employable
Dott (Designs of the time) started in 2007 in the North East as a year of community projects, events and exhibitions about how design could help people live in a more sustainable way.
It's a national initiative developed by The Design Council which in 2009 will move the programme of user-led design projects down to Cornwall.
Dott 07 projects focused on improving five aspects of daily life: travel, health, food, school and energy. Grassroots community projects involved thousands of local people in redesigning sexual health services, household energy use and travel to work and school to name but a few.
Dott 07 was led by programme director John Thackara and executive producer Robert O'Dowd. Hundreds of designers also took part, including people from design agencies live/work, Engine, thinkpublic and many more