Future Making with Digital Technologies
* Digital Forum
Friday 30th March
 
Venue: University College Falmouth, Tremough Campus, Penryn, 9.30am to 4.30pm.
 
This one day forum was aimed at designer-makers wanting to find out more about the potential of digital technologies to help then develop new products, access wider markets, increase production capabilities or explore new ways of working. It was a really interesting day that introduced designer-makers to high-level practitioners working with digital technologies across the design industry.
 
Speakers
Freelance ceramic designer and 3D digital production Research Fellow Tavs Jorgensen
Textiles writer, curator and researcher Sarah E. Braddock Clarke
Textile and interior product designer Jo Pierce of re-surface design
Dave Turtle from the RCA Jewellery Innovation Centre
Artist/designer and 3D digital production Research Fellow Justin Marshall
Interior product designer Jethro Macey

Tavs Jorgensen started the day off with a talk about the development of his work from traditional pottery to a practice that focusses on the possibilities of new and more intuitive ways of using the computer as a creative tool. Sarah E. Braddock Clarke followed, showing how the incorporation of digital technologies in and textile and fashion design has enabled both new aesthetics and working processes. Jo Pierce then discussed notions of individuality, uniqueness and personal creativity within digital production, concentrating on the level of user participation it enabled, whilst Dave Turtle focussed on the interface between designer and digital technology. His presentation examined different methods of rapid prototyping and how they can be used in jewellery design and production, even on a very local scale. Justin Marshall discussed the importance of engaging both with materials and new technologies in his creative practice and highlighted the potential for creating systems that enable participation between designer and consumer. Finally Jethro Macey gave a talk on the development process from concept to finished product, utilising digital technologies in the design and production of his lace embossed concrete tiles.
 
Following the presentations the speakers led small discipline specific group discussions.
 
Digital forum review
 
The forum was run collaboratively with the 3D Digital Production Research Cluster at University College Falmouth and chaired by cluster leader Dr Katie Bunnell.