An Internet of Soft Things
Lead Research Organisation:
Nottingham Trent University
Department Name: Sch of Archit Design and Built Env
Abstract
The Internet of Soft Things project asks how a radically connected world can be designed to benefit human wellbeing, and in particular, what types of experience will be enabled by smart textile interfaces as an important part of this vision of the future.
One in four of us is likely to experience mental health problems at some time in our lives, and wellbeing has come to be seen as a 'grand challenge', crucial to the future of our cities and even our security. In the UK, the coalition government committed to measuring national wellbeing through an Office for National Statistics programme, and anxiety is understood to be more than a 'mere curiosity'. However, social stigma often leads individuals to hide difficulties instead of seeking help: in the past, the vast majority of clients using the mental health charity MIND would have been through psychiatric services and still be taking medication. Today the charity finds that this is changing, with increasing numbers of people walking in off the street. Managing the anxiety and distress of individuals so that they are at lower risk of becoming disturbed or dysfunctional (and therefore prescribed medication) has become an important part of MIND's work. While in the past evidencing the cost benefits of non-medicalised approaches to mental wellbeing has been difficult, research undertaken in Western Finland presents compelling figures for talking therapies (for example, presenting cases of schizophrenia are claimed to have been reduced by 90% over the last 25 years).
The project will draw on this and other relational approaches in psychotherapy and counselling. The Internet of Soft Things project will add to the debate in the design community about how we name the beneficiaries of design ('user', 'human', 'person'?) and champion the move from an individual to a collaborative, social model of meaning making. This new Person-Centred Approach to Design is important because it will enable us to move beyond the current deficit model and narrow focus on what people lack or need, to look at the positive things and meanings people bring to situations and communities. Design will be able to engage more meaningfully with calls for wellbeing through a better understanding of people's potential for growth and capacity for meaning making and a new ability to design for people's ongoing creativity and empowerment. There are parallels between the scale of mental health issues and a purely technological vision of the Internet of Things (IoT); that is, that it occurs everywhere, but is often concealed. If the statistic of one in four people experiencing mental health problems is powerful, it becomes even more pervasive if we consider the mental wellbeing as a continuum upon which every one of us sits (and moves).
This project will build on recent research in smart embroidered interfaces to explore the potential benefits of an Internet of Soft Things for mental health and wellbeing. It will draw on recent research in wearable technology, which has challenged many of the initial assumptions of 'ubiquitous' computing, namely, that it should be concealed, and that we should not be aware when we are acting through it. These assumptions have led to a belief that no new things or forms need be developed, as technology would merely be hidden within the objects already familiar to us. In fact, what the last two decades of wearable research have shown is that an expressive use of technologies works better with the way we manage our social identities through things. There is therefore scope to explore a range of existing and new experimental forms for personal networked design concepts while addressing the pressing need for more robust and reliable textile interfaces.
One in four of us is likely to experience mental health problems at some time in our lives, and wellbeing has come to be seen as a 'grand challenge', crucial to the future of our cities and even our security. In the UK, the coalition government committed to measuring national wellbeing through an Office for National Statistics programme, and anxiety is understood to be more than a 'mere curiosity'. However, social stigma often leads individuals to hide difficulties instead of seeking help: in the past, the vast majority of clients using the mental health charity MIND would have been through psychiatric services and still be taking medication. Today the charity finds that this is changing, with increasing numbers of people walking in off the street. Managing the anxiety and distress of individuals so that they are at lower risk of becoming disturbed or dysfunctional (and therefore prescribed medication) has become an important part of MIND's work. While in the past evidencing the cost benefits of non-medicalised approaches to mental wellbeing has been difficult, research undertaken in Western Finland presents compelling figures for talking therapies (for example, presenting cases of schizophrenia are claimed to have been reduced by 90% over the last 25 years).
The project will draw on this and other relational approaches in psychotherapy and counselling. The Internet of Soft Things project will add to the debate in the design community about how we name the beneficiaries of design ('user', 'human', 'person'?) and champion the move from an individual to a collaborative, social model of meaning making. This new Person-Centred Approach to Design is important because it will enable us to move beyond the current deficit model and narrow focus on what people lack or need, to look at the positive things and meanings people bring to situations and communities. Design will be able to engage more meaningfully with calls for wellbeing through a better understanding of people's potential for growth and capacity for meaning making and a new ability to design for people's ongoing creativity and empowerment. There are parallels between the scale of mental health issues and a purely technological vision of the Internet of Things (IoT); that is, that it occurs everywhere, but is often concealed. If the statistic of one in four people experiencing mental health problems is powerful, it becomes even more pervasive if we consider the mental wellbeing as a continuum upon which every one of us sits (and moves).
This project will build on recent research in smart embroidered interfaces to explore the potential benefits of an Internet of Soft Things for mental health and wellbeing. It will draw on recent research in wearable technology, which has challenged many of the initial assumptions of 'ubiquitous' computing, namely, that it should be concealed, and that we should not be aware when we are acting through it. These assumptions have led to a belief that no new things or forms need be developed, as technology would merely be hidden within the objects already familiar to us. In fact, what the last two decades of wearable research have shown is that an expressive use of technologies works better with the way we manage our social identities through things. There is therefore scope to explore a range of existing and new experimental forms for personal networked design concepts while addressing the pressing need for more robust and reliable textile interfaces.
Planned Impact
This research focuses on building new knowledge and practice in designing for wellbeing and mental health service providers in an Internet of Soft Things. Through a built-in process of reflection, this knowledge will be captured and made available to future interdisciplinary teams of designers, scientists and user communities working in the wild. The project's impact aims are to:
o Train staff in non-medicalised mental healthcare to work with smart textiles as part of workshops with service users
o A practical toolkit will be co-developed as part of the project comprising basic materials, tools and instructions for building personal textile interfaces
o An accompanying booklet will gather the learning of the participating Notts Mind Network staff and present case studies and guidelines for running workshops with service users along a number of themes (such as significant sounds and narratives, managing privacy in networks, and confidence through skills development)
o Inform staff in non-medicalised mental healthcare about the issues and opportunities for their clients in a networked society
o Through reflections and dialogue across the team, sector specific knowledge will be shared and possible implications teased out
o These will be brought together in a presentation format and disseminated to the national UK Mind Network, Open Dialogue groups in the UK and overseas, and members of The Consortium of Therapeutic Communities
o Support third sector provision of wellbeing and mental healthcare provision
o This sector is fragmented and reliant on charity and project funding; we will bring together a range of groups to identify future research in the Internet of Things to create a meta-level network of networks so that they may support each other and share resources
o We will provide a number of demonstration days and discussion events to facilitate future research in this area
o Inform wider policy change with regards wellbeing and mental healthcare provision in the UK
o Nottingham Healthcare Trust has shown interest in the evidence emerging from the Open Dialogue model of treatment, in which networks of family and significant others are closely involved
o This project will benefit from senior representatives from the NHS sitting on the board, and will contribute to ways of working towards wellbeing that do not begin with a deficit model of the individual
Our demonstration days will form part of Nottingham Mental Health Awareness Weeks, the annual ITAG Conference held annually in October in project active years at NTU; work in progress will be exhibited and presented at the Arcintex symposium being hosted by Nottingham Trent University in February 2015, and final demonstrators shown at Arcintex Feb 2016.
To maximize the desired level of impact we have brought together an advisory board of experts from the relevant professional communities in mobile and cloud computing, mental health and wellbeing, and smart textile research, including senior managers from the National Health Service in Nottinghamshire.
For the Nottinghamshire Mind Network, the outcome will be an actionable plan for providing the new Mind venue in the centre of Nottingham with a unique identity, designed around the findings and collaborative process of this project. This new venue will provide a space for increased public interaction through lower stigmatization of mental health issues, and will become a centre for future arts-led research.
o Train staff in non-medicalised mental healthcare to work with smart textiles as part of workshops with service users
o A practical toolkit will be co-developed as part of the project comprising basic materials, tools and instructions for building personal textile interfaces
o An accompanying booklet will gather the learning of the participating Notts Mind Network staff and present case studies and guidelines for running workshops with service users along a number of themes (such as significant sounds and narratives, managing privacy in networks, and confidence through skills development)
o Inform staff in non-medicalised mental healthcare about the issues and opportunities for their clients in a networked society
o Through reflections and dialogue across the team, sector specific knowledge will be shared and possible implications teased out
o These will be brought together in a presentation format and disseminated to the national UK Mind Network, Open Dialogue groups in the UK and overseas, and members of The Consortium of Therapeutic Communities
o Support third sector provision of wellbeing and mental healthcare provision
o This sector is fragmented and reliant on charity and project funding; we will bring together a range of groups to identify future research in the Internet of Things to create a meta-level network of networks so that they may support each other and share resources
o We will provide a number of demonstration days and discussion events to facilitate future research in this area
o Inform wider policy change with regards wellbeing and mental healthcare provision in the UK
o Nottingham Healthcare Trust has shown interest in the evidence emerging from the Open Dialogue model of treatment, in which networks of family and significant others are closely involved
o This project will benefit from senior representatives from the NHS sitting on the board, and will contribute to ways of working towards wellbeing that do not begin with a deficit model of the individual
Our demonstration days will form part of Nottingham Mental Health Awareness Weeks, the annual ITAG Conference held annually in October in project active years at NTU; work in progress will be exhibited and presented at the Arcintex symposium being hosted by Nottingham Trent University in February 2015, and final demonstrators shown at Arcintex Feb 2016.
To maximize the desired level of impact we have brought together an advisory board of experts from the relevant professional communities in mobile and cloud computing, mental health and wellbeing, and smart textile research, including senior managers from the National Health Service in Nottinghamshire.
For the Nottinghamshire Mind Network, the outcome will be an actionable plan for providing the new Mind venue in the centre of Nottingham with a unique identity, designed around the findings and collaborative process of this project. This new venue will provide a space for increased public interaction through lower stigmatization of mental health issues, and will become a centre for future arts-led research.
Organisations
- Nottingham Trent University (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Boras (Collaboration)
- Dovecot Studios (Collaboration)
- Notts Mind Network (Collaboration)
- Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute Ltd (Collaboration)
- FALMOUTH UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- Oak Field School and Sports College (Collaboration)
- Design School Kolding (Collaboration)
- Edinburgh Napier University (Collaboration)
- Nottinghamshire Mind Network (Project Partner)
Publications
Briggs-Goode A
(2016)
Wellbeing and Smart Textiles: Reflecting on Collaborative Practices and the Design Process
in Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice
Briggs-Goode, A
(2016)
An Internet of Soft Things
Kettley S
(2016)
Design for Personalisation
Kettley S
(2021)
Lifelines
in Airea: Arts and Interdisciplinary Research
Kettley S
(2017)
Design for Personalisation
| Title | An Internet of Soft Things |
| Description | Kettley, S., Briggs-Goode, A., Brown, D., Glazzard, M., Heinzel, T., Walker, S., Bates, M., Battersby, S., Kettley, R. & Lucas, R. (2015-date). An Internet of Soft Things. Participatory design of networked e-textiles for mental health and wellbeing. Ongoing project, https://aninternetofsoftthings.com/project/ |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | Exhibitions and conference contributions by participants in the EPSRC porject An Internet of Soft Things, including at The Royal College of Art as part of the London Design Festival, Edinburgh College of Art with the RAFT research group, and as part of Living with Adaptive Environments, Lakeside Arts, Nottingham. Participants attended academic conferences such as Research Through Design 2017, The Craft Council Make Do Conference 2016, and the Extraordinary Art symposium at Edinburgh College of Art in 2018. The work has also been shown as part of the Edinburgh International Festival as part of the From Data to Dance panel in August 2018, and was presented at the Craft Scotland conference in June 2018. |
| URL | https://aninternetofsoftthings.com/ |
| Title | Expressive e-Broidery |
| Description | Kettley, S., Downes, T., Harrigan, K. & Battersby, S. (2016-date). Expressive e-Broidery. Reactive and interactive textile objects. |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Impact | The objects produced became part of movement and performance workshops as a methodology for design at Nottingham Trent University 2017, and were explored by participants of the Internet of Soft Things EPSRC project as part of their development from participants to workshop leaders 2016. The project is ongoing and has potential to inform design processes for technologies embedded in textile forms as part of the IoT. A PhD student from Falmouth, Lucie Hernandez, worked with the team at NTU as part of a placement in 2016. She reords this through entrries on her blog as 'HUG', and as an interaction with the NICER research advisory group at Oakfield College in Nottingham for design with people with special needs. This group took part in the EPSRC project An Internet of Soft Things. http://meshworks.co.uk/ |
| URL | http://meshworks.co.uk/hug-objects-work-in-progress/ |
| Title | Salamanda Tandem participant film |
| Description | A suite of three interviews with participants in the e-textiles workshops (Phase 1) of the Internet of Soft things project. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | The film is hosted on youtube and is publicly available. The research team have used it in academic presentations, public mental health awareness events, across disciplines, and at prestigious public symposia (eg, The Sackler Conference, V&A, London). In addition, it has been shown at international workshops and conferences such as UbiComp (Osaka, Japan) and the Arcintex research network (Vilnius, Lithuania). It has been used to communicate the ethos of the project across disciplines, including in textile design staff professional development , and at a textile residency with invited artists at the host university. |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YixEuzl0Wfc |
| Description | [WP1 - methodology development] we found that: The Person-Centred Approach (the PCA) is very well suited as a design research methodology in a non-medical mental health service environment, but requires a high level of reflexive commitment from researchers. Thinking in reflexive/reflective ways, integral to the PCA, was less familiar within some disciplines and is potentially challenging for researchers. Participants respond positively to the approach. Non-directivity in workshops, while challenging for some researchers, was welcomed by participants, who tended to settle quickly on what they wanted to do. With the support of a researcher on a 1:1 basis, participants co-created an object which had significant personal meaning as a result of being self-made. Participants also benefited therapeutically from an empathic, non-judgemental relationship with the researcher (reported in feedback as well as revealed in IPR). Participants valued genuine, transparent, mutually respectful relationships with researchers, where they felt they could be themselves. This was supported/facilitated by a friendly and familiar environment. The e-textile workshops, framed by the Person-Centred Approach, were experienced as convivial and therapeutic; they supported both male and female service users, and participants felt a sense of achievement and reported increased levels of confidence and social interaction, and lowered levels of anxiety. E-textile workshops are suitable for members of non-medicalised mental health services, even when they require the highest level of individual support. There were some assumptions about the comfort of 'soft' being universal and participant feedback allowed us to see that some 'resistance' and solidity in the objects was preferred by some individuals. We also found that participants already managed their own anxiety by selecting particular routes and/or going at particular times of day or the week. These assumptions were exposed by offering participants freedom of expression on the walks, and then communicated to the rest of the research team in group reflection sessions. These reflections offered us a rationale for adapting and negotiating/agreeing research methods. Participant-led walks offered opportunities for expressing immediate experiencing of designed objects in the field; making meaning of those experiences, and reflecting on them in their personal context of relationships and emotional/psychological history. There was a sense of attachment to both the objects people had made, but also to the experience of the workshops - both content and process. The Design Research community (including participatory design, service design, e-Textiles, wearables, the IoT, and HCI) was shown to either be unaware of the philosophies of care underpinning different practices in mental health care, or not to be reporting on them in the literature. The Person-Centred Approach was differentiated from the drivers for Personalisation in health care. Participants, volunteers and staff found it difficult to imagine the IoT cognitively and responded well to experiential interactive demonstrators. Participants tended to want communication channels, not just ambient delivery of information. Different stakeholders want to develop different forms of data visualisation. Service Design as a systemic endeavour faces unique barriers in the mental health and wellbeing sector in the UK due to different project funding timescales, the fragmentation of services, a strict audit culture, and differences in fundamental philosophies of care (including differing criteria for success). We found that this was not limited to our own experience, but was also reported by national bodies. The Future Workshops method includes an element of fantasy, which participants in this sector simply could not engage with. The issues that mental health service users are living with are so fundamental that the most fantastical, wonderful service they could imagine was 'friendly', 'clean', communicated with, and 'listened' to them. As one individual said, "I just want to know what crisis teams do". [WP2 - e-textile development] we found that: The mental health domain necessitates a flexible approach to participatory design (and design research) workshop planning, including content and timings, to dynamically support the therapeutic growth of the individual within the context of the workshops themselves. The non-directivity of the Person-Centred Approach as applied to design research methodology does not provide constraints for textile and interaction designers in the way a User-Centred methodology does, and this can be experienced as frustrating. On reflection, we realized that the word 'practice' meant something quite different for different members of the team; the assumption was that 'artistic practice' in interactive textiles could be carried out without a user-led brief, but this wasn't the case. We also found that textile designers are not trained in user-centred or human-centred methods and ideologies, so testing a novel methodology was difficult. There is a need as textile design becomes electronic textile design, for soft (textiles based) plug and play structures for designers, to support prototyping activity. [WP3 - networking structures and data analytics] we found that: We found that each of the networking topologies can be implemented, and verified that each of them were suitable methods for making networks of soft things. We found that smart phones or tablets were suitable for providing a mobile internet gateway, where enterprise networks and/or a lack of infrastructure made connectivity difficult. We believe the optimal solution is some form of mobile application to accompany the soft devices, to have 2 primary uses: to provide connectivity to the cloud where none is available, and to customise soft things, as cloud objects, to user requirements. This is not dependent on end users being able to use smart phones themselves; no one in the first mental health participant group had a smart phone at all, so the development of apps for end users is not necessarily the best way forward. Throughout the life of the project, software solutions for the IoT have been quickly maturing; we implemented code using event hubs and mobile services to keep pace as Microsoft Azure has matured, but some of the code developed will be quickly superseded. Passing data directly into Azure learning was shown to be feasible for future mobile learning applications. Latent Semantic Analysis and the Fuzzy C-Means clustering algorithm are helpful for sorting data on anxiety levels and can successfully be informed by relational approaches from psychotherapy to create a novel data analytics model. This analysis model can reveal the types of words participants use to express themselves and allows for the identification of anxious and 'not so anxious participants'; it can support participants in recognizing their own triggers of anxiety in everyday scenarios and to become more aware of each other's need for support and to co-develop concepts for peer support. Networked smart textiles in the wild afford an experientially informed platform for doing meaningfully user-led service design with data in the IoT. Our participants wanted to stay in touch with Mind, as a supportive organization and safe place; many did not want to create a network with the other mental health service users in the group. Some wanted the option to be in supportive contact with each other through their custom soft devices. Many people liked to be able to see live data without necessarily knowing what it was doing. http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/files/2017/03/IoST-Networking-Infrastructure.pdf - online pdf http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/networking-report/ - private post |
| Exploitation Route | The project delivers 50 prepared e-textile kits to Nottinghamshire Mind Network so the e-textile workshops can continue to be run with other service users. Volunteer training is has been delivered to enable scaled-up delivery of the workshops. National Mind has launched a new service design initiative, which we are making contact with to share our findings. The local Clinical Commissioning Group has asked for qualitative research outcomes to complement the existing quantitative information they already have for the region; findings from the final service design and future workshop phases in particular will be useful for them in planning a new mental health and wellbeing resource 'hub'. Participatory design researchers and practitioners will be able to use novel methods (IPR) and methodology (PCAD) to work in a more informed way with mental health communities through our academic publications and workshop demonstrations. There are a number of planned future activities, subject to funding: · Follow up with Oakfield School to implement an immersive room with soft input things · Make the 'tree of positive reinforcement' devised by one of the participants · Continue development of the modular e-textile tools · Design of a stand-alone teaching module for designing with mental health and wellbeing We will also seek to emulate the NICER advisory group at Oakfield School, in the mental health domain at Mind to help steer future research involvement. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Healthcare,Other |
| URL | http://aninternetofsoftthings.com |
| Description | An Internet of Soft Things has had impact with reach (international and across disciplines), and significance (testing and presenting methodological developments in novel user-centred technology innovation; therapeutic impact for individual participants; development of new services for mental health): reach International: regular dissemination through the Arcintex international research network; the research team hosted the Arcintex network workshops and symposium at NTU, Feb 2015 (78 delegates from 7 countries); international academic dissemination through papers and conference activity Across disciplines: using novel methods for practitioner, participant and researcher reflection on the heuristic impact of working according to a Person-Centred Approach; charting changes in mindsets and methodological expectations in textile design and user-centred interaction design and HCI communities (evidenced in reflective narratives throughout and at close of the research period, and captured in academic outputs) significance Testing and presenting foundational methodological developments: testing the psychotherapeutic Person-Centred Approach as a methodology, and Interpersonal Process Recall as a method, for new sectors (e-Textile and wearable technology development, Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Participatory Design) (evidenced in reflective narratives throughout and at close of the research period, and captured in academic outputs) Therapeutic impact for individual participants: The project has resulted in two types of impact that are hard to capture: 1) on the individual mental health service user, and 2) on academic and disciplinary practice. The first has been significant in terms of individuals' increased capacity for social interaction, confidence and wellbeing, as evidenced in qualitative research and reflections with stakeholders at Mind. The second has been manifested in the evolving mindsets of researchers on the project team, from 'expert based' to more open, 'person-centred' approaches to methods and subjects of research. This has been captured through reflexive activities throughout the project.participants at Mind reported increased levels of social confidence, lower levels of anxiety, increased verbalisation, increased confidence in skills, increased motor control, and lower levels of anger, evidenced through the use of a custom designed tool, the Starfish, based on the Recovery Star, and through the use of the WEMS scale; narrativised in the participant films made with Salamanda Tandem at the end of Phase 1 e-textile workshops, and through increased participant resilience and engagement in continuing impact activities Changing practice and development of new services: e-textile workshops were developed as a stand-alone toolkit for third sector mental health service provision; training was developed and delivered to Mind volunteers and staff across the Nottinghamshire Mind Network; volunteers and staff delivered first autonomous workshops around Christmas 2016, and delivered a workshop to international researchers and managers of other regional wellbeing services in November 2016; Nottinghamshire Mind Network now has 50 e-textile kits for further service delivery. The barriers of this sector with regards Service Design as a more systemic approach were identified for the design research community. Nottinghamshire Mind have also launched a new tiered membership, called Living Well; within this, the e-textile workshops are being used at 'level 1', in which new members require the most support. Development of teaching and training material: the toolkit, training manual, and Starfish tool have been made publicly available on the project website through the Creative Commons license; PI authored core teaching book for UG textile courses on designing with 'smart' textiles (Bloomsbury Required Reading range, 2016); RF in Psychotherapy is teaching UG design students. Recommendations for policy makers: have been drawn up and published on the project website; the PI and RF (R Kettley) have attended a number of national healthcare policy events (eg the UK Mental Health Taskforce's launch of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health) (2016-2017) to identify the most promising pathways to impact. Further funding: the project supported our hypothesis that the design research community (including HCI, IoT development and physical computing) is unaware of different modalities (and therefore appropriate methodologies) when working with the mental health and wellbeing sector; a follow up literature review was supported by QR funding at NTU, which covered UK and European literature at the intersection of design and mental health. The findings from this have been presented at the annual NTU College research conference, and will be published in 2017. Further funding will be sought to include the grey literature, and other countries. Two further projects have been supported by QR funding and strategic Seedcorn fundign at NTU: Electric Corset (and other future histories), and Expressive e-Broidery Interfaces for Wellbeing. Electric Corset is concerned with the barriers fast fashion creates for wearables innovation, and develops novel design methods using historical fashion and textile archives as inspiration for modular systems of (smart, networked) dress. Expressive e-Broidery also deconstructs the design process to develop tools for the expressive integration of hardware within (smart, networked) textile design concepts. |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Healthcare,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
| Description | Arcintex steering group |
| Geographic Reach | Europe |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | The PI represents Nottingham Trent University on the steering group of the international research network, Arcintex. This network focuses on the intersections of e-textile development, interaction design and architecture. The network won EU funding to support 15 new doctoral projects starting in 2015 across Europe. In February 2015, NTU hosted an Arcintex workshop and symposium event, partly funded through the project. |
| URL | http://www.arcintexetn.eu/ |
| Description | Changing participant roles |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Throughout the project, mental health service users took part as participants. However, the methodology sought to create an equal relationship and we witnessed a change in the capacity of several participants as they became co-researchers, and as their personal mental health improved. Three took part in reflective interviews on film, now publicly available on YouTube (see separate academic outputs entry); two went on to co-deliver workshops, becoming facilitators and scaling up the reach of the e-textile workshop as an intervention for mental health. These co-researcher/facilitators are now in discussion with the research team and staff at Bassetlaw Mind to develop the framework for an advisory group on design research and mental health. We presented on this outcome at the Crafts Council Make:Shift conference in Manchester, 2016, which two co-researchers attended. The research advisory group has since presented on their activity to the Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute research showcase for trainee psychotherapists in November 2017. |
| URL | http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/content/files/MakeShift_Programme.pdf |
| Description | Invited talk to IACDE Nordic chapter smart textile event |
| Geographic Reach | Europe |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| URL | http://www.iacde.net/meet-the-chapters/nordic-chapter/ |
| Description | Nottinghamshire Mind Network Living Well programme |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | As a result of the first (e-textiles workshop) phase of the research, the Nottinghamshire Mind Network is introducing e-textile workshops to its new Living Well Programme and tiered system of service user membership. Using the kits delivered to Bassetlaw Mind, and making use of the 6 month extension of the project, training was delivered to volunteer staff in the East Midlands region to increase access to mental health services and support individuals' recovery. |
| Description | evaluator for Vinnova - the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems |
| Geographic Reach | Europe |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| URL | http://www.vinnova.se/en/ |
| Description | invited talk for Arcintex research network April 2017 |
| Geographic Reach | Europe |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| URL | http://arcintex.hb.se/conferences-workshops/ |
| Description | Materials Seedcorn Fund |
| Amount | £23,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Nottingham Trent University |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2016 |
| End | 07/2016 |
| Description | Quality Related Funding |
| Amount | £7,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Nottingham Trent University |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2016 |
| End | 06/2016 |
| Description | Quality Related Funding |
| Amount | £14,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Nottingham Trent University |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2016 |
| End | 06/2016 |
| Title | A Person-Centred Approach to Participatory Design Research |
| Description | The project An Internet of Soft Things applied Rogers' Person Centred Theory of psychotherapy to Participatory Design research to assess the benefits and limitations of a Person-Centred Approach to Design (PCAD) framework for working with the mental health sector. As a result, we have published a range of academic articles and contributed to conferences across design and psychotherapy on our practice-based theoretical findings. The PCAD framework includes philosophical foundations (humanistic), methods for participatory work (participant-led and non-judgemental), assessment and outcome measures (grounded in reflexive process and personal growth), and guidance for researcher self-awareness, roles, and care. |
| Type Of Material | Physiological assessment or outcome measure |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Open University research group visit Leuven University research group visit Arcintex research network presentations (including presentation on the PCA and non-directivity by David Murphy, member of the project advisory group) Arcintex research network symposium - Vilnius Academy of Arts ITAG conference paper UbiComp conference workshop (attended by Google UX team) book chapter - Kettley, S., Kettley, R. and Lucas, R. (forthcoming). Towards a Person Centred Approach to Design for Personalisation. In I. Kuksa and T. Fisher (Eds.). Design for Personalisation. Routledge. Arts Academy Amsterdam (relational theatre methods for design) |
| URL | https://aninternetofsoftthings.com/project/ |
| Title | Starfish reflection tool and outcome measure |
| Description | The project initially used the Recovery Star (http://mentalhealthpartnerships.com/resource/recovery-star/), but found it to be unwieldy in the e-textile making workshop environment. A revised version was developed and tested, and is shared as the Starfish reflection tool as part of the larger workshop design. |
| Type Of Material | Physiological assessment or outcome measure |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | please see full list for theoretical framework entry |
| URL | https://aninternetofsoftthings.com/toolkit/ |
| Title | e-Textile Workshop Toolkit and training workshop guide |
| Description | A toolkit has been developed to help design research and e-textile and IoT developers consider new frameworks for designing with and for research participants. An open source booklet to support e-textile workshop participants, and a training manual for training new facilitators to run the workshops have been developed and published on the project website, along with a novel outcome measure (see separate entry). |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | We have been asked to speak at many events, and have welcomed international researchers to the team in Nottingham, and have seen changes in ethical design development practices across disciplines. This is where our future impact work will be focused. Please see detailed list in entry (1) - theoretical framework. |
| URL | http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/toolkit/ |
| Title | Person-Centred Approach for Design Research |
| Description | A methodology for design research with participants. Particularly suitable for working with 'vulnerable' user groups, based on the practice and theory of Carl Rogers. Includes explicit reflection by researchers, and takes a non-medical approach to mental health and wellbeing. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | One method within the methodology, Interpersonal Process Recall, has been demonstrated to UX designers at Google as part of the UbiComp workshop the team ran in 2015. An HCI research team from the Open University visited us at NTU to learn more about the theory and practical issues of the approach, following the workshop at UbiComp. The approach has also been described in a book chapter (Kettley, S. et al, to be published 2016). |
| URL | http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/files/2015/11/Gower_abstract.pdf |
| Description | Arcintex research network membership |
| Organisation | University of Boras |
| Department | ArcInTex Network |
| Country | Sweden |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Contribution as a member of the steering group for the international research network on architecture, interaction design and smart textiles (Arcintex), led by the University of Boras, Sweden. Nottingham Trent University hosted a one week workshop and symposium in February 2015, and team members have given talks and taken part in symposia at other host venues (events are held approx every 6 months). Sarah moved to the University of Edinburgh in September 2018, and successfully pitched for the Edinburgh College of Art to become a new member of the network. The RAFT research group is hosting a network event 9th-13th April 2018 at ECA for international delegates. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Knowledge transfer and networking opportunities; skills development. |
| Impact | multidisciplinary - architecture, interaction design, textile design, physical computing hosting workshops and symposium April 2018, Edinburgh hosted workshops and symposium February 2015, Nottingham S Kettley sole authored book - Designing with Smart Textiles PhD student and RF attendance at international workshops (Eindhoven, Vilnius) invited talks at international symposia (Boras) consultancy for Swedish government innovation body, Vinnova |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Nottinghamshire Mind Network - IoSofT |
| Organisation | Notts Mind Network |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The team delivered creative e-textile workshops, participatory service design workshops and 'Future Workshops' at Bassetlaw Mind to service users, volunteers and staff. The project leaves the partners with re-usable resources in the form of e-textile kits and education resources (50 kits). A 6-momth extension to the project has allowed the team to deliver training to staff and volunteers so that these kits can be used to deliver workshops across the East Midlands region, at Mind and to other mental health providers. The research team have introduced members at Bassetlaw Mind to the culture of academic design research. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Mind gave the team use of their space for workshops, recruited participants and delivered mental health awareness training to the research team. They advised on mental health service provision in the UK. service users, staff and volunteers took part in participatory workshops as 'co-researchers'. |
| Impact | The collaboration is multidisciplinary; it includes mental health service providers, design researchers, computer scientists, psychotherapists and textile designers. All outputs listed against the Internet of Soft Things project are outputs of this relationship. Key outputs include journal articles, conference papers, invited talks, a book and book chapter, and impact on policy at a local Mind. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Oakfield School and Sports College |
| Organisation | Oak Field School and Sports College |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The team took an e-textile service design workshop to this large special needs school, and worked with the 'NICER' advocacy group, including current students, alumni, carers and staff. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The participants contributed their time and ideas to the development of the workshop tools for e-textile service design, and gave a large amount of information on what they would desire or need themselves. This was additional to the mental health aims of the project, and has helped the team define future directions for research on 'diagnostic overshadowing'. |
| Impact | Outputs currently include a conference paper (Briggs-Goode, A., Glazzard, M., & Walker, S., Futurescan, Glasgow), which is also being reviewed for journal publication; an internal funding proposal has been submitted for 'seedcorn' funding at NTU, towards preparation of a larger EU bid. The collaboration is multidisciplinary, adding special needs care practices to the already multidisciplinary team. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Scottish Graduate School ARC PhD studentship |
| Organisation | Dovecot Studios |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | I am the second supervisor on a team of three for a PhD student supported by SGSAH (https://www.sgsah.ac.uk/), led by Edinburgh Napier, and partnered by Dovecot Tapestry Studio (21st Century Tapestry: an investigation of smart materials, technology interplay and heritage craftsmanship) (https://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/maker-support/opportunities/phd-opportunity-21st-century-tapestry). |
| Collaborator Contribution | shared PhD supervision and technical resources |
| Impact | multidisciplinary research: tapestry, electronics, material science, performance, art, craft |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Scottish Graduate School ARC PhD studentship |
| Organisation | Edinburgh Napier University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I am the second supervisor on a team of three for a PhD student supported by SGSAH (https://www.sgsah.ac.uk/), led by Edinburgh Napier, and partnered by Dovecot Tapestry Studio (21st Century Tapestry: an investigation of smart materials, technology interplay and heritage craftsmanship) (https://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/maker-support/opportunities/phd-opportunity-21st-century-tapestry). |
| Collaborator Contribution | shared PhD supervision and technical resources |
| Impact | multidisciplinary research: tapestry, electronics, material science, performance, art, craft |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Sherwood Research Group |
| Organisation | Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Brought an interdisciplinary approach to psychotherapy research field - relevant to their commitment to 'Research in the Real World' focusing on the intersection between philosophy, theory and practice. Working in a broader sense with mental health service users, ie not just those in psychotherapy in the psychotherapy room, but researching lived experience in the field. Bringing this to the attention of the group and also the wider institute - staff, graduates and current students through participation in conference. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Knowledge and experience not only of person-centred approach but also other relevant humanistic approaches by integrative psychotherapists - contributed to rigour and validation of methodology. |
| Impact | Presented our research in interactive multimedia style by taking examples of work and toolkits for participants to handle and by showing one of the films commissioned by the project and made by Salamanda Tandem. Accepted to next conference where team members including participants with lived experience of mental health, demonstrating our commitment to inclusion in research. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Windmills mental health research advisory group |
| Organisation | Notts Mind Network |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | I and Richard Kettley began a research advisory group at Bassetlaw Mind after the end of the EPSRC project An Internet of Soft Things in 2016. We meet monthly and are service-user led. This is currently un-funded. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Mind, the project partner on An Internet of Soft Things, contributes through room use, and provision of volunteer support when members experience anxiety as a result of working with others and attending external events. |
| Impact | Members have been supported to present their activity at external research events, and are part of the development of new research projects. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | placement PhD student (Feb - April 2017) |
| Organisation | Falmouth University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Dr Steven Battersby is working closely with the placement student as below. She is hosted in the PI's office and supported by the host institution of the Internet of Soft Things project (Nottingham Trent University). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Lucie Hernandez, PhD candidate at Falmouth University was approved to work part time with the team between February and April 2017 as part of her 3D3 AHRC Studentship in Digital Craft. She contributed to the 'HUG' textile objects and worked closely with Dr Steven Battersby to develop a number of demonstrators for further experiential testing with participants. |
| Impact | multidisciplinary - physical computing, textile design |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | visiting Erasmus+ PhD student |
| Organisation | Design School Kolding |
| Country | Denmark |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Our team is hosting a visiting doctoral researcher from Denmark for 2 months, and committing supervisory time to her research development. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The student has contributed to data collection and transcription, and is engaged in co-authoring outputs. |
| Impact | Paper submitted to International Journal of Design (in review) research network grant proposal in development |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Title | Android and Azure Integration via Mobile Services |
| Description | Android and Azure Integration via Mobile Services |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | Android and Azure Integration via Mobile Services |
| URL | https://gist.github.com/dyadica/589674ae346932183d64a8e7083810f5 |
| Title | Android and Azure Integration via Photon Cloud and IoT Hub |
| Description | Android and Azure Integration via Photon Cloud and IoT Hub. This software enables calls and events to be made to the particle.io cloud via an Android application. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Impact | This software enables calls and events to be made to the particle.io cloud via an Android application. This software can also be used to enable software to communicate with Azure via the existing particle.io cloud infrastructure. This in turn can be used to formulate a basis for the development of an accompanying app for each of the Soft Things. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report |
| URL | https://gist.github.com/dyadica/ccd400ce2968d87d97ed5113c44ec8e1 |
| Title | Android and Microcontroller Bluetooth Communication API |
| Description | Android and Micro-controller communication via Bluetooth. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | This software enables Bluetooth enabled micro-controllers to connect to the cloud via an Android device. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report |
| URL | https://gist.github.com/dyadica/cf638651fe0d5a1e2d81c33b8a254706 |
| Title | Android and Microcontroller UART Communication |
| Description | Android an Micro-controller UART Communication API and Unity Plugin. The core code for this example was provided by ftdichip.com For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | Android an Micro-controller UART Communication as featured within the Arduino Introductory Workshops. This software enables non connected micro-controllers to connect to the cloud via an Android device using USB. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report |
| URL | https://gist.github.com/dyadica/0dbb08d27077997e1294d930fad1f16d |
| Title | Arduino Serial port bounce methods |
| Description | A collection of Arduino Serial port bounce methods developed to enable non-connected devices to communicate via a hardware hub. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | Based on those by Tom Igoe and released with the Arduino IDE, this collection of scripts were developed to enable the Soft Thing makers to develop designs and concepts that can communicate using basic UART/Serial. This in turn allows for the use of non-connected devices to communicate via a hardware hub that acts as a gateway. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report |
| URL | https://gist.github.com/dyadica/50ac3d7d4daaca84b8c81e0dd7bc7bc0 |
| Title | Azure Machine Learning Integration via Photon Cloud and IoT Hub |
| Description | Azure Machine Learning Integration via Photon Cloud and IoT Hub: The Photon IoT Hub example was extended to include the passing of data via the ASAS directly into a Machine Learning Web Service. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | Azure Machine Learning Integration via Photon Cloud and IoT Hub: The Photon IoT Hub example was extended to include the passing of data via the ASAS directly into a Machine Learning Web Service. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report |
| URL | https://gist.github.com/dyadica/23fe40ca37954e1df53c496110179773 |
| Title | Introduction to Arduino & Micro-controller's Workshop |
| Description | A workshop to introduce the IoST team to the world of Arduino and Micro-Controllers and the concept of Breakout Prototyping. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | This aim of this resource iwas to empower the IoST making team by providing them with the level of basic knowledge needed; to construct simple circuity and code prototypes. This in turn would help them better understand the design requirement from a technical standpoint whilst also enabling them to test out their initial design concepts and ideas. |
| URL | http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/an-introduction-to-arduino-micro-controllers/ |
| Title | Investigation of Network Topologies |
| Description | A report in presentation format detailing the Investigation and Identification of Network Topologies conducted during the initial stages of the IoST project. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | This deliverable summarises the Investigation of Network Topologies conducted during the initial stages of the project. The summary was provided as a presentation to afford the Textile Makers and IoST team with a reference they could utilise as an aid; for the development of concepts and the design of the Soft Things. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report |
| URL | http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/summary-of-network-topologies/ |
| Title | IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report |
| Description | IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report: This report details a collection of both hardware and software developed to formulate a scalable Cloud based networking infrastructure for Soft IoT devices. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | This report demonstrates the investigation, development and implementation of a suite of hardware and software solutions that together formulate a scalable Cloud based networking infrastructure for Soft IoT devices. |
| URL | http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/files/2017/03/IoST-Networking-Infrastructure.pdf |
| Title | Networking Photon with Azure App Service Mobile Apps |
| Description | Conversion from Photon to Azure Mobile Services to Photon to Azure Mobile App Service |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Impact | This software allows for the connection and storage of Photon published data within Microsoft Azure. This update is to cater for the conversion of Azure Mobile Services to the new App Service Mobile Apps model. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report |
| URL | https://gist.github.com/dyadica/67e19186a661f50de6262bcdda905489 |
| Title | Photon - Control of High Powered Devices via Cloud |
| Description | Photon - Control of High Powered Devices via Cloud - This code enables the control of high powered devices such as Motors and Solenoids via the Photon micro-controller. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | Photon - Provision of a codebase for makers; enabling the Control of High Powered Devices via Cloud. This code is a reworking of the Arduino based MOSFET control circuit developed as part of the IoST Artist Residency; where a prototype was developed that utilised a MOSFET to control power to a heated element. |
| URL | http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/photon-control-of-a-mosfet/ |
| Title | Photon - Expose a variable through the Cloud |
| Description | This example code enables a developed device to expose a variable through the Particle Cloud. This variable can then be made accessible to other devices and or software. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report. |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | The development of this software enables the both the visualization of and sharing of data by networked devices. As well as providing capability for the visualization of data within user sessions; it also provided the textile makers with the capability to network developed prototypes via the Particle.variable() event method. This code acts to form the rudimentary code base for the Photon micro-controller based developed prototypes. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report. |
| URL | https://gist.github.com/dyadica/b8a85a272103fd32baed7f07c6f13770 |
| Title | Photon - Publish and Subscription Networking |
| Description | Example implementation of the networking of Photon devices via use of the Publish and Subscription event methods. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | The development of this software enabled the demonstration of WIFI networked devices within user sessions. It also provisioned the textile makers with capability to network whilst developing prototypes. This software forms the rudimentary code base for all the developed prototypes that utilise the Photon microcontroller. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report. |
| URL | http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/photon-publish-and-subscription-events/ |
| Title | Photon and Azure Integration via IoT Hub |
| Description | Photon and Azure Integration via IoT Hub |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Impact | Photon and Azure Integration via IoT Hub |
| URL | https://gist.github.com/dyadica/29530a52adfb2dfded051c9c61d191bb |
| Title | Photon and Azure Integration via Mobile Services |
| Description | Photon and Azure Integration via Mobile Services - This software allows for the direct connectivity of Photon devices with the Azure platform. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | Azure App Services (AAS) offer an immediate scalable database infrastructure, REST API, Identity Management and the ability to provide push notifications to web, mobile and API apps. This software allows for the direct connectivity of Photon devices with the Azure platform. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report |
| URL | https://gist.github.com/dyadica/38ad2190d20583195441c98e4f16f1d4 |
| Title | Photon and Unity Integration |
| Description | This software and or application demonstrates the visualisation of IoT data sent via a Photon device within the Unity3D game engine (Web deployed). |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | This software and or application demonstrates the visualisation of IoT data sent via a Photon device within the Unity3D game engine (Web deployed). |
| URL | https://gist.github.com/dyadica/f0555197e300f5f3b888 |
| Title | Photon and Unity Integration via the Variable Method |
| Description | Photon and Unity Integration via Variable - An updated version of The Photon and Unity Integration (2015) that caters for the change of the Unity software's Web Deployment mechanism (WebGL). |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Impact | This software is an updated version of The Photon and Unity Integration (2015). The update that caters for the update to the Unity software's Web Deployment mechanism (WebGL). This software enables the visualisation of particle.io cloud data within the Unity3D game engine. This in turn can be used to formulate the basis for the development of accompanying app's. For more information please see the IoST: Networking Infrastructure Report |
| URL | https://gist.github.com/dyadica/b89b4da2db4e8f3cdce79f0ab787df87 |
| Title | capactivie sensor board |
| Description | A simple breakout for the Arduino Capacitive Sensor library was developed as part of the artist residency in the summer of 2015. The library turns two or more pins of an Arduino pins into a capacitive sensor which can then be used to sense the electrical capacitance of the human body. The sensor breakout board is capable of handling up-to six soft textile contacts. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | A series of concept designs were developed by Sara Robertson (artist in residence) and Tincuta Heinzel (Research Fellow), and exhibited at the e-textiles summer camp in Paillard, France, 2015. A poster was also shown at the eCuvee exhibition at Paillard. These events attract approximately 25 professional practitioners from around the world annually. The poster can also be seen on the project website at http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/files/2015/08/Poster_IOST_Paillard_final.pdf. |
| URL | http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/capacitive-sensor-development-board/ |
| Title | interactive soft prototypes |
| Description | A series of e-textile prototypes were developed to demonstrate different modes of input and output with participants (analogue/digital; co-located, wi-fi enabled; gesture, touch, presence; light, movement). Objects were designed at different physical sizes to make the concept of the soft IoT accessible (from handheld and wearable to domestic interior scale). 1) digital input LED output cushion with 2 output circuits 2) keychain fob with accelerometer and textile press switch input, tricolor LED output 3) 3-circuit analogue input cushion with flashing LEDs 4) vibrating surface with groups of motor actuator output; responds to presence (ultrasound movement sensor) or to incoming digital data (wi-fi) |
| Type Of Technology | Physical Model/Kit |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Impact | The prototypes have been shown at professional practitioner events such as the eTextile summer camp, Paillard, France. The project participants have still to experience them fully as of November 2016, and this is an important part of our future research. |
| URL | http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/prototypes/ |
| Title | soft circuitry kit |
| Description | This CAD embroidered kit was conceived to fill the gap between the already existing boards (Lilypad, Arduino mini, Photon, etc.) and the input components of the circuits. It aims to help workshop trainers in their teaching and designers in fast prototyping. Tincuta Heinzel developed and presented this as part of the Paillard e-textile Summer Camp 2016, in the swatch-book format. It included a capacitive sensors circuit, a force sensing circuit and a matrix sensing circuit. |
| Type Of Technology | Physical Model/Kit |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Impact | The e-textile summer camp was attended by 30 international practitioners in 2016; each takes away a physical swatch book of samples by other delegates to inspire and inform future practice. A paper was prepared and submitted for ISWC (International Symposium for Wearable Computing) conference but was unsuccessful. |
| URL | http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/e-textiles-swatch-exchange/ |
| Title | textile thermocouple |
| Description | Tincuta Heinzel in collaboration with the Advanced Textile Research Group, Nottingham Trent University: The two samples presented here are temperature sensors based on thermocouples principles. The ?rst sample is of type E (Chromel - Constantan), the second is of type T (Copper-- Constantan). Thermocouples are self--generating sensors used for temperature--sensing. These sensors translate the temperature into a reference voltage, resistance or current. There are di?erent types of thermocouples: Type E (Chromel - Constantan) Type J (Iron - Constantan) Type K (Chromel - Alumel) Type M (Ni/Mo 82%/18% - Ni/Co 99.2%/0.8%, by weight) Type N (Nicrosil - Nisil) Type T (Copper - Constantan) Materials: 1. Constantan High--Flex 8394 7×1(Karl Grimm) + Linen Inox thread (Bart Francis) - Sensor type E 2. Constantan resistive wire + Cooper resistive wire (Conrad) - Sensor type T Techniques: Several techniques can be used to have as many as need it hot points into the structure of the fabric. The sample is illustrated by sewing and embroidery techniques, but knitting and weaving can also be considered. (see, for example, tapestry diagonal interlock technique). |
| Type Of Technology | New/Improved Technique/Technology |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | A ?rst prototype of the "Drawing sensors" project was the "Textile Thermocouple" sample. It was included in the E--textiles Swatch Book 2015. The E--Textile Summercamp's Swatch Book Exchange is a platform for sharing physical work samples in the ?eld of electronic textiles. The exchange wishes to emphasize the importance of physicality and quality workmanship in an increasingly digital world. Everybody who has a4ended the E--Textile Summercamp at least one time is allowed to take part in this exchange. Calls for participation are generally published 2 months before the summercamp. Individuals and collaborative e?orts participate in the exchange by submitting a unique swatch design of their own, and in turn receive a compiled collection of everybody else's swatches. This means that everybody participating needs to make as many multiples of their swatch as the total number of participants. Participants in the Swatch Exchange have diverse links to the e--textile community, including academic researchers, textile designers, industrial designers, artists, electrical engineers and enthusiastic makers. There are no guidelines de?ning what these samples could or should be, only that they relate to the ?eld of E--Textiles. Preferably each swatch should be able to mount on a 13x16cm area, and while ?at swatches lend themselves well to the book format, 3D swatches are also welcome. For more details about the Swatch Book Exchange see: h4p://etextile--summercamp.org/swatch--exchange/category/2015/ |
| URL | http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/textile-thermocouple-concept/ |
| Description | An Extraordinary Gathering April 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Five members of the Windmills research advisory group from Nottinghamshire Mind, (convened by Kettley, R. and Kettley, S.) travelled from the east midlands to attend this event in Edinburgh. They exhibited creative works, took part in making activities, and contributed to discussions on the meaning of outsider and extraordinary art. One of the members was invited to contribute a painting to a subsequent travelling exhibition. Difficult ethical questions regarding othering processes were raised when the participants realised they were effectively being labeled as 'mad', and they were able to raise this point. The changing language and attitudes of this community were made apparent through some of the original 'curators' and collectors of the 1970's being present, alongside more inclusive contemporary approaches. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.eca.ed.ac.uk/event/extraordinary-gathering |
| Description | Arcintex (Vilnius) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | 40 researchers from universities across Europe involved in the Arcintex network presented current or recent work to each other. I presented a talk 'Participatory eTextiles design with mental health care communities' which included recommendations for a person-centred approach to research methods and methodology.This generated an invitation to return to Vilnius to deliver lectures/workshops to undergraduate students at Vilnius Academy of Arts, in the textile and theatre costume department, and also generated much interest from researchers in Denmark, contributing to an Erasmus+ visit. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/active-textiles/ |
| Description | Arcintex workshops and symposium at NTU |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | 78 international delegates from 7 countries attended a week long Arcintex event in Nottingham, comprising 8 experiential workshops over 3 days, and a 2-day symposium; the Arcintex research network promotes practice-based research at the intersections of e-textiles, interaction design and architecture. Novel e-textile techniques were shared between educators and students, and 4 of the experiential workshops focused on communicating the unique methodology of the research project, the Person-Centred Approach. Delegates found this aspect particularly valuable and challenging, and took new knowledge back to course development (many delegates were senior management in HE across Europe). Other delegates are currently developing new international research project proposals around this theme. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://arcintex.hb.se/conferences-workshops/ |
| Description | Artful Spark talk, London |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | creative practitioners shared ways of working with new forms of digital media including e-textiles; Tincuta Heinzel, RF on the project was invited to speak; as a result of this (and also workshops run at UbiComp 2015), the team welcomed researchers from the Open University to Nottingham Trent to share further ways of working with vulnerable participants using e-textiles |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://furtherfield.org/programmes/event/artful-spark |
| Description | Augmented Instruments Lab, Queen Mary University London |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A cross-disciplinary group of postgraduate students and researchers gathered to hear about the person centred methodology as applied to participatory e-textiles for health. Practices and directions of research were shared, and discssions regarding engagement with special needs audiences. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Bradford Textile Society |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | As a result of the College conference at Nottingham Trent University in June 2016, we were invited to present to the Bradford Textile Society and associated Society of Colorists and Dyers on smart textiles and innovation. There was a good amount of debate at the end, and questions regarding the recently published teaching book, Designing with Smart Textiles (see publication record). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.bradfordtextilesociety.org.uk/events.html |
| Description | CADBE College conference, Nottingham Trent University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Two relevant outputs were presented at this annual College conference, intended primarily for postgraduate students and researchers: a talk and poster outlining the findings of a meta-literature review on design and mental health (Kettley and Lucas). This literature review has been developed as a report and will be worked up as a high quality journal article for submission in early 2017. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/files/2015/11/cadbe_designinMentalHealth.pdf |
| Description | Contribution to celebration of Prof Anne Cranny-Francis' work (AUS), Oct 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Professor Anne Cranny-Francis has been a mentor and friend for the last decade, and on retiring from UTS (University of Technology Sydney), her work is being celebrated by the university. I was invited to speak about recent work that brings together new technologies (of the body) and the humanities. The majority audience was academics from a wide range of disciplines. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Craft Scotland Conference, Edinburgh, June 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was an invited talk at the National Museum of Scotland for the annual Craft Scotland conference. More than 200 makers attended from around the world, and asked questions about relational approaches of working with participants. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.craftscotland.org/about/projects/conference-2018/speakers |
| Description | Crafts Council Make:Shift conference, Manchester |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The Internet of Soft Things project, specifically an account of the changing roles of the mental health service user participants, was one of three presentations in the Health and Wellbeing track at the Crafts Council's annual Make:Shift conference in Manchester. The two volunteers (Elaine and Josie) who had delivered their first e-textile workshop in Nottingham the previous month, attended the first day of the conference (their first). The track was chaired by Jeremy Myerson, of the Helen Hamlyn Centre. The track generated discussion around the status of 'expert', and conversations about potential future work. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/what-we-do/makeshift/ |
| Description | Crafts Council wearables and e-textile salon, Nottingham |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I acted as a consultant to the locally hosted 'salon' for the Crafts Council, on wearables and e-textiles, working with colleagues Dr Katherine Townsend and Professor Tom Fisher. Drawing on my membership of the research network, Arcintex, and contacts made while writing the book, Designing with Smart Textiles, we invited 12 internationally renowned practitioners to inform the planning of the Crafts Council annual Make:Shift conference. A small invited audience attended the sharing of cutting-edge practice (eg computer logic gates made using the traditional crochet technique, tatting). I spoke briefly about the Internet of Soft Things project; and as a result was invited to present at the national conference as part of the Health and Wellbeing strand. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Cumulus conference, Nottingham |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Kettley, S. (2016). End User Development: e-textiles and the wearable IoT. 'In This Place' Cumulus Conference, Nottingham Trent University, 27 April - 1 May 2016. We were asked to fill a slot when another speaker was ill for this design pedagogy conference, as part of the Innovation strand. We decided not to publish officially but to save and develop the contribution to the innovation literature more fully in the future. This resulted in another published conference paper, delivered by colleagues from other disciplines to the British Academy of Management (see separate publication entry). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.cumulusnottingham2016.org/ |
| Description | Design Informatics research seminar March 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The Design Informatics rgoup at Edinburgh University scheduled me as part of their series of research seminars for professionals, students and public across Edinburgh. Discussion was raised around methodologies and ethics when working with participants. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.eca.ed.ac.uk/design-informatics-research-seminar-series |
| Description | Design: The Frontiers of Art and Science [panel chair], Edinburgh Science Festival, April 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I am the panel chair for this Edinburgh Science Festival event, introducing and framing a debate on interdisciplinarity, data, and making, featuring four other practice-led researchers from tEdinburgh College of Art, in the context of the Patrick Geddes Centre in Edinburgh. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.sciencefestival.co.uk/event-details/design-the-frontiers-of-art-and-science |
| Description | Does Design Care AHRC workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Does Design Care was a workshop supported by the UK's Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) under the AHRC's Design Priority Area Leadership Fellowship scheme (Award Ref: AH/P013619/1). Researchers and practitioners across a wide range of disciplines contributed to a 2-day workshop at Imagination, Lancaster University, UK on 12 and 13 September 2017. This thinking, making and doing workshop explored different ways to explore, conceptualise, provoke, contest and disrupt 'care'. Sarah and Richard Kettley successfully submitted a position paper and presented on the Person-Centred Approach. The workshop culminated in the collaborative writing of a 'charter' for care-full design, now accepted for publication and in press with Design Issues (MIT Press). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lica/news-and-events/news/2017/011017---does-design-care/ |
| Description | Film as a Therapeutic Tool - NNMHR Symposium panel |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Arising from shared postgraduate course delivery at ECA, this panel was delivered at the Northern Network for Medical Humanities Research symposium online. Comprising filmmakers, psychotherapists and psychologists, it discussed creative practice as ethical enquiry, first person approaches to research, and the responsibiity of representing the other with therapetuic intent. As a result, the membership of the related research group at the University of Edinburgh, Film Medicine, grew. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://nnmhr2021.org/ |
| Description | From Data to Dance August 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I was invited to speak on a joint Edinburgh International Festival/University of Edinburgh panel on identity and data alongside some the creative production team of Wayne MacGregor's Autobiography, which showed that evening. Approximately 50 attendees from the creative industries participated, and saw a display of the physical networked objects made by the participants of the Internet of Soft Things project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | IACDE keynote, Boras, Sweden Nov 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I was invited to give a keynote on designing with smart textiles and design for wellbeing to the Nordic chapter of pattern cutters, meeting at the University of Boras. The sector were interested in the design processes involved in workgin with smart materials and wearable outcomes, as well as 'wellbeing'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.iacde.net/meet-the-chapters/nordic-chapter/ |
| Description | International visitors programme, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven, October 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Het Nieuwe Instituut runs an annual New Material Award and invites an international panel to view the entries and discuss directions and themes in new material and design practices. I attended as one of five experts in 2018, meeting a range of professional practitioners, funders and policy makers and discussing approaches to work. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://international-visitors-programme.hetnieuweinstituut.nl/en/international-visitors-programme-2... |
| Description | Jewellery masterclass, Kolding, Denmark Nov 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The masterclass was intended to bring the Person-Centred Approach of the EPSRC project An Internet of Soft Things together with collaborative thinking on the accessory as a vehicle for welfare design. The accessory was developed not only as a literal, worn artefact but as an ontological relationship useful for thinking about power and autonomy in healthcare design. I co-devised and delivered four days of teaching with Professor Jack Cunningham for approximately 11 UG and MA students doing a course in welfare design in collaboration with Sahva, Denmark's largest orthotics company, and orthotics users. A short paper is in preparation discussing the pedagogy of this session. Individual design students were hugely impacted by the power of the unfolding relationships with individual users, and the potential for them to design together and develop representations of the whole person, rather than of their disability. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Kings Fund conference, London |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Two of the team took a stall to the Increasing Access to Mental Health Care Kings Fund conference in October 2015. e-textile objects and the films made by Salamanda Tandem with service user participants were shared, and attendees could engage with both finished e-textile objects, and the materials and components service users had used to make their own. The project approach seemed to resonate more with service users than with policy makers and commissioners. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/events/increasing-access-mental-health-care |
| Description | Lifelines: users and designers as persons in relation - Nottingham School of Art and Design Research Lectures |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | This invited lecture shared a case study in relational depth in a participatory design process with cross-disciplinary researchers at Nottingham Trent University. It presented the paper published in Airea journal and was recorded. Questions were asked about ethical frameworks for design. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/events/events/2022/1/lifelines-users-and-designers-as-persons-in-rela... |
| Description | Lifelines: users and designers as persons in relation - Sadler Seminar Series, Sharing Practice: Sensory Storytelling, Leeds University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This invited talk was one of five, looking at the synergies between different arts-based practices for wellbeing and global mental health. The funded seminar was the first of three, and the intention is to build towards joint reserach plans and funding applications. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/music/events/event/2434/sensory-storytelling-imagination-and-wellbeing-shari... |
| Description | Lines research group, University of Edinburgh |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The interdisciplinary Lines research group met to discuss materiality from a perspective of narrative. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Material Metamorphosis presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | We presented the project to a group of professional textile researchers at Nottingham Trent University as part of their CPD week, Material Metamorphosis. Questions were raised about how to evaluate physical design outputs created in participation with mental health service users, and what the goals were of bringing in textile practitioners in the second phase of the project. The aesthetic and interactive meaning of 'smart' textiles was discussed in some depth. The audience also shared their practices, and aims for future research. A close relationship between the new head of textile programmes was supported, and cross-School lecturing and mentoring opportunities were discussed. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Mixed Reality Lab, University of Nottingham, May 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | S Kettley has been invited to present the Internet of Soft Things project to the research group at the Horizon CDT & Mixed Reality Laboratory, School of Computer Science, The University of Nottingham. The audience will be researchers and postgraduate students in HCI and related fields. At time of report submission, this talk was pending, so no impacts yet. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/mixedrealitylab/ |
| Description | Nottinghamshire Mental Health Awareness Weeks |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | The team manned a stall at the Bringing People Together event organised by Integritas at NCVS, Nottingham as part of the Nottinghamshire Mental Health Awareness Weeks. The day is for clients, other services and professionals and anyone else who is interested from the community. Our stall offered people a chance to interact with smart textile objects and have a go at making some 'E-textiles' of their own. Over 50 mental health service users and providers engaged with the participant films made with Salamanda Tandem, saw e-textile sensor data displayed in real time on a screen, experienced e-textile objects at handheld and bodily scale, and gave feedback on what they might want from networked textile services. Most assumed we were in a position to offer the first phase on the project as a creative mental health service, and were interested in how to take part. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.mhaw.org.uk/publicRecognition.html |
| Description | OU research team visit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A research team from the Open university made contact with us and visited for a day sharing practice with e-textiles and vulnerable participants. There are plans to work together in the future. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Oakfield School workshops |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | In the second phase of the project, we were invited to take the e-textiles and service design workshop into Oakfield School and College. Oakfield support over 150 pupils with complex special needs. We ran a series of afternoon workshops over 6 weeks, exploring potential applications and scenarios, different formal qualities of the textile objects, and thinking about how the objects could become part of the school's immersive sensory room. The advisory group, 'NICER' of current pupils and alumni, helped to develop a service design toolkit. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Psychology seminar, NTU |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | CoI Professor David Brown delivered a psychology seminar at NTU on 23/03/16; Title: Robots, Affective Computing, and Co-designing with Students with Cognitive Impairments. The talk covered a general intro to the Internet of Soft Things project, and covered in more detail the IPR method. Michael Hibbert, one of the participants from Oakfield School, also presented at the talk. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006 |
| Description | Research Through Design conference panel March 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I have been invited to contribute to an expert design panel as part of the Research Through Design conference, 22-24 March 2017; as part of this I will be accompanied by Haley Berry, the key partner at Bassetlaw Mind who worked on the Internet of Soft Things project. She will speak to her own and Mind member experiences of being participants in a design research process. At time of report submission, the event is still to take place, so now impact yet. We hope to change design research methods. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/research-through-design-design-panel-tickets-32626194827 |
| Description | Sackler Conference at the V&A |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Sarah Kettley was invited to present the project as part of a curated day as part of the Art, Design and New Technology Sackler Conference, 2015. There was interesting discussion about the relationship between evidence and practice and the impact of modalities of practice on research. I also contributed to the expert panel at the end of the session. Contacts for future work include Denis Roche (developing the Person Centred Approach) and a CIC enterprise in north London (name to be recalled) who are doing co-design with mental health service users, including Mind. We are planning visits to learn more about life beyond the research project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/4434/art-design-and-new-technology-for-health-the-sackler-confere... |
| Description | Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute research conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The team presented a talk and experiential materials, including e-textiles and the participant films, to an audience of psychotherapy researchers, postgraduate students, practitioners and educators. Engagement centred around the application of the Person-Centred Approach outwith standard therapeutic practice. There is interest in developing an ongoing research and teaching relationship. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.spti.net/Downloads/workshops/Delegate_Appl_form_2015_MO.pdf |
| Description | Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute research showcase Nov 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Richard Kettley and David Brown attended the Sherwood Psychotehrapy Training Institute research showcase, facilitating the involvement of the Windmills research advisory group from Bassetlaw Mind to attend and present their activity. Taking part impacted positively on individuals' self esteem, and understanding of the worth of their voices in setting research agendas. They received praise from PG student delegates, and other third sector initiatives made contact after the event to understand the Person Centred Approach further (which underpinned the engagement practice and research of the earlier EPSRC project An Internet of Soft Things). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | The 170 Celebration Debates - Design and Personalisation: Does it empower or exploit? Nottingham Conference Centre, Nottingham Trent University, 24 September 2014 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited panel member for a debate on personalisation. This talk compared the person centred approach of the Internet of Soft Things project with the growing personalisation agenda in health care. It formed the basis of a future book chapter for Routledge. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/events/events/2014/09/the-170-celebration-debates-design-and-personal... |
| Description | Transgression: A Symposium in celebration of Professor Anne Cranny-Francis, University of Technology Sydney |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | IN 2017, Anne Cranny-Francis retired as Professor of Cultural Studies at UTS. A symposium and workshop was held to honour her contribution to academic life by the Dean. I was invited to speak at the symposium, and ran a workshop for researchers and creative practitioners, on the transgressive nature of the person-centred approach as a participatory design research methodology. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | UCL invited talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Doctoral candidates, research fellows and academic researchers at UCL attended a talk on the Internet of Soft Things project, organised by a PhD student (Britta Schulte). The humanistic approach sparked a great deal of discussion, an invitation to join in a new research network, and to submit to a new journal. Interaction Design Research Seminar Series, University College London, March 2016 The talk: discussed some of the challenges (and rewards) of doing design research with the mental health sector outlined what we mean by 'the Person-Centred Approach' reflected on how we are collecting and making sense of data and gave the audience an insight into what our participants and stakeholders have said they want from a networked mental health service |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://uclic.ucl.ac.uk/news-events-seminars/sarah-kettley-the-person-centred-approach-a-non-determi... |
| Description | WearSustain EU network symposium, Brussels, November 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The EU platform project, WearSustain ended in 2018 with a final symposium in Brussels. More than 100 professional practioners and industry members attended and discussed ways to develop sustainable ways of working in the fields of e-textiles and wearables innovation. The event was also live streamed to the project's wide ecology of members (500+) across the world. I contributed to panel 4, data and ethics, as a result of acting as a mentor for the funded project, Constructing Connectivity (https://jessicasmarsch.com/Constructing-Connectivity). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://legacy.wearsustain.eu/event/wear-sustain-final-event-and-symposium/ |
| Description | e-textile summer camp, Paillard, France |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | RF, Tincuta Heinzel, participated in the 2015 e-textile summer camp at Paillard, France, an annual event for the development of the e-textile field, with working groups, and a unique 'swatch exchange' for knowledge transfer. This resulted in new technical knowledge and directions for development within the project, as well as sharing the ethos of the project with international e-textile practitioners. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://etextile-summercamp.org/swatch-exchange/category/2015/ |
| Description | first participant-delivered workshop, Nottingham |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | As a result of our workshop paper at CHI 2016, we welcomed an associate professor from Lueven University, Belgium to Nottingham Trent University; she became a participant in the first e-textile workshop delivered by members and volunteers from Bassetlaw Mind. This is a huge impact outcome for the individual participants (mental health service users), who had taken part in the first phase of the project in early 2015. Neither had been in a university before, and had not been to Nottingham city in 20 years. They successfully delivered this workshop not only to the Belgian visitor, but also to a final year UG student, a local researcher in theatre practice, and the manager of another large third sector provider. Outcomes from this include increased confidence for the participants to attend their first conference (see the entry for the Crafts Council), and plans to initiate a permanent advisory group (based on the Oakfield School model after a related visit to their NICER group). Further academic outputs and workshops on extending participatory design methodologies are also planned with Leuven as a result. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | participatory design research workshop, CHI |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | David Brown, CoI and Richard Kettley, RF, attended an international workshop on the limits of participatory design research, accompanied by a participant from Oakfield School and his carer. The workshop was part of the CHI conference in San Jose (2016), and travel and attendance were a significant personal achievement for our participant. We were the only researchers to take a participant, challenging the current practices of participatory design research, and as a result, the conveners, from Leuven University, Belgium, have visited the team in Nottingham to meet the special needs advisory group at Oakfield School, take part in an e-textile workshop delivered by members of Bassetlaw Mind, and to discuss further work. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://chimethodstories.wordpress.com/ |
| Description | research group visit, Open Lab, Newcastle University, May 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Invited presentation to the Open Lab interaction design and social computing research group at Newcastle University. Audience will be academics and postgraduate students. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://openlab.ncl.ac.uk/ |
| Description | research visit, Design School Kolding (Denmark) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Staff, students (all levels) and practitioners attended a talk as part of the Welfare Design Research Group at Design School Kolding, Denmark. I stayed for four days and co-wrote a journal article with Trine Moller, the PhD student who had visited NTU earlier in the year on an Erasmus scholarship. This paper will be submitted in December 2016. As a result, a new international research network is being formed. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://happy-help.com/2016/10/21/hosting-two-state-of-the-art-researchers/ |
| Description | textile artist residency NTU |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The second phase of the project was concerned with scaling up both the physical size of the e-textile things, and the network they are part of. Three textile artists were selected to work with the team over four days 14-18 June 2015 in the textile studio at Nottingham Trent University. Sara Robertson, Lorna Smith and Joanne Hodge joined the textile and interaction design practitioners on the research team to explore advanced textile qualities and scenarios of use in An Internet of Soft Things. This also made links with the international eTextile Summer Camp community at Paillard in France, through Sara Robertson and Tincuta Heinzel (RF)'s attendance the same summer. The residency started with presentations and a visit by the NICER group - students and alumni of the Oakfield School and College in Nottingham - and included mental health awareness training from Mind. We also shared the space with the textile design staff from NTU, who were doing some professional development, so there was crossover between the groups, including a presentation by the project RF, Tincuta Heinzel, to the staff team. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://aninternetofsoftthings.com/phase-2-textile-residency/ |
| Description | theatre design methods workshop, visiting researchers from Amsterdam |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Two researcher/practitioners from the Arts Academy Amsterdam visited Nottingham Trent University at the end of 2016/beginning of 2017, and in March 2017 are collaborating with us to deliver a cross-disciplinary methods workshop to industrial design, design for performance and textile and fashion design students. In addition, we are working to include mental health participants from the project in using theatre methods to imagine new technologies on the body through movement. At time of report submission, the workshop is yet to happen, so no impacts yet. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |