Universal
Design

Facts

Project type

Research and development, Lab for Social Design

Project period

2021-2026

Project Management

Professor Eva Brandt and Project Director Lene Nyhus Friis

Partners

Bevica Foundation
Sammenslutningen af Unge med Handicap (SUMH)
Danske Handicaporganisationer

Participants from Design School Kolding

Eva Brandt and Richard Herriott

Knowledge base

Research

Introduction

Design School Kolding and the Bevica Foundation work together to enhance the teaching of and research into Universal Design. Design School Kolding is pleased to be the recipient of a grant from Bevica to fund this work.

Universal Design means the design of products, environments, programs and services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

Universal Design is a general term for accommodating different levels of cognitive and physical ability in the development of new products, services and habitable structures. Universal design is a values-based design approach intended to make use of the power of design methods and specialist knowledge on disability and ageing. This results in design solutions that are of value to all, from a functional, social and aesthetic perspective. It aligns with the UN Development goal of Leave No One Behind, which means a society where there is the best possible chance for all to participate in a fulfilling and meaningful way.

Design School Kolding's work with UD means it is participant in Bevica's Universal Design Hub, a network of researchers in Denmark. This allows a critical mass to develop, leveraging the accumulating knowledge of UD to further research. The aim here is to produce definite change in society through education and awareness. With Bevica´s links to organisations for those with or concerned with disability, this research can lead to further positive change.

Teaching Universal Design at Design School Kolding

Universal Design has long been a part of Design School Kolding's set of core interests. Design School Kolding's new impetus will further focus courses on the BA and MA level towards universal design.

Design School Kolding's new impetus will further focus courses on the BA and MA level towards universal design. Students will have the opportunity to hear lectures on UD and to implement the content in courses on the industrial design bachelor and master's level. There are also plenum lectures to students on the BA and MA courses. The teaching staff are also now briefed on UD content and the implications for pedagogy.

Research at Design School Kolding

Design School Kolding are in the process of hiring the first of two PhD students to address Universal Design. The PhD scholarships will be staggered over 5 years.

One will deal with industrial design and the second, later one will address a clear gap in research knowledge in relation to service design. The PhD's will produce peer-reviewed articles and conference papers in addition to general dissemination. Further, they will contribute to teaching UD concepts on the courses they are assigned (this is in addtion to UD teaching referred to earlier).

Database

As part of the groundwork for further new research, Design School Kolding has conducted a wide-ranging literature search to collate existing work on Universal Design, comprising (Sept 2021) approximately 200 books, papers and articles. These are available to staff in a searchable database which will be enlarged over time.

Subject headings include theory, history of UD, tools/methods, applications of UD and examplars. This material will allow staff to easily search for material to support their teaching activities.