“I was delighted to support Napier University in the work around the re:design exhibition. This exhibition is about re-thinking the ordinary spaces we already have in schools and settlements to deliver learning. The Realm ISD proposal in the exhibition propose a learning forest to re-think ordinary and forgotten spaces in schools as lively social spaces.
”I was impressed with the entire journey that the students from Napier pursued.” The initial design propositions, p arguably, focused on an event or exhibition about design for designers. The feedback from the tutor and myself to really deeply consider the client, in this case young children, was taken on. It was more than taken on. The students really understood the focus, and built an invitational structure to Royal Mile primary school to collaborate on the project that demonstrated applied learning from their own experience of starting the project. They Th then re-imagined our meeting space to become a learning space, thinking about children, in terms of scale, use, comfort and interaction. I really liked the invitation to the children; a hand made finger puppet each which was used in the storytelling session at the event in our building. Attention, care and interest in the child. I am guessing that it also created a memory, something these children will remember for a long while.
It was impressive to see the dynamic of the group adapt to the task; logistics sub teams, risk managers, designers, PR folk. It really came together as not a student project, but a prototype of a business with people who know their stuff, understand their client and commit with precision and passion. That was awesome to see. The event was an amazing success. I got a lot from it. I got to see some of the work we do applied in real time, tested with children and an education institution. The project enabled collaboration between ourselves, Scottish Government, European Parliament, the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Royal Mile Primary school, the City Design Leader of Edinburgh and fellow colleagues. That was a learning about projects like this; the project is always a series of projects because different people get different value from the same thing. But, only if there is an invitation, and only if people feel that the focus is not on designers. The focus is on people, and the way design can be of value to them, and their lives. After the event, I left Edinburgh for Nairn, for a workshop in Forres the next day. It is a long train trip, beautiful too. I had thought I would do some work. I didn’t. What I did do was feel immensely proud and privileged to have been part of an amazing experience, delivered by an outstanding group of young people with a fantastic future. Thank you.” Diarmaid Lawlor, Head of Urbanism, Architecture + Design Scotland
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