Repositioning Graphic Heritage
Lead Research Organisation:
Loughborough University
Department Name: Creative Arts
Abstract
This two-year project explores the integrative process through which people experience and are informed about urban heritage in graphic images. Looked at through the lens of graphic design, it will establish a clearer understanding about the core knowledge and understanding that heritage professionals must grapple with when they need to communicate with the public about the heritage experience. These competencies are consolidated in graphic design as brand visual identity, digital design, film and animation, packaging and point of sale, print and advertising, retail and environmental design.
Graphic design is uniquely placed to provide the essential tools for communicating heritage in the twenty-first century. In recognising this important contribution the research will provide new opportunities for creative industry practitioners concerned with enhancing China's cultural development as well as in the UK. Graphic design draws together important knowledge and skills such as typography, illustration and photography, which provide the bedrock of creative input for depictions of cultural heritage, as well as the basis for co-design activity that engages and exploits both professional and public interests in urban heritage.
The first phase of the project in year one is exploratory and will concentrate on establishing a taxonomy of urban graphic heritage objects in both the UK and China. Field visits in Shanghai, Leicester and other UK destinations will trace the visitor experience of heritage through its graphic images. This will generate a body of visual data, for example, in-situ photographs, and this will be organised into a classification system. This may include, but is not limited to, the role of transport and pedestrian signage (e.g. wayshowing) in wayfinding; other symbols that identify heritage products, services and experiences, such as pictograms; websites and other digital designs that augment the visitor experience; or site-specific moving images that narrate and educate us about heritage. The intention is to provide built environment professionals with a fuller understanding of the increasing need to inform and promote heritage experiences.
The second phase in year two is more experimental. Using participatory design approaches it will use the taxonomy to generate heritage graphic prototypes that represent both public and professional perspectives on the purpose and realisation of commemoration and memorialisation. Co-design methods will bring together people from different interest groups to decide on and design representations of urban heritage. From this we will produce a suite of innovative designs that assimilate content and creativity to suggest new ways of working for creative industry practitioners in China and the UK. This phase will incorporate contentious aspects of design between east and west such as multiple language uses in relation to local-global perspectives on heritage. New design paradigms will emerge that form the basis for a briefing note for urban planners working at different settlement sizes, from the villages to the megacity.
The aim is to foster good working relations between academics, businesses, policy professionals, community groups and other organisations who are committed to supporting the mutual development of the creative industries for urban heritage in China and the UK. Through a combination of field visits, journal and conference papers, practice-led and practice-based approaches, participatory design, public exhibition, and digital archival practices the findings will be widely available. The project will establish new methods for recording, archiving and interpreting graphic images of urban heritage, acting as a model for further work beyond the project for application by other researchers globally and in particular those countries eligible for overseas development assistance.
Graphic design is uniquely placed to provide the essential tools for communicating heritage in the twenty-first century. In recognising this important contribution the research will provide new opportunities for creative industry practitioners concerned with enhancing China's cultural development as well as in the UK. Graphic design draws together important knowledge and skills such as typography, illustration and photography, which provide the bedrock of creative input for depictions of cultural heritage, as well as the basis for co-design activity that engages and exploits both professional and public interests in urban heritage.
The first phase of the project in year one is exploratory and will concentrate on establishing a taxonomy of urban graphic heritage objects in both the UK and China. Field visits in Shanghai, Leicester and other UK destinations will trace the visitor experience of heritage through its graphic images. This will generate a body of visual data, for example, in-situ photographs, and this will be organised into a classification system. This may include, but is not limited to, the role of transport and pedestrian signage (e.g. wayshowing) in wayfinding; other symbols that identify heritage products, services and experiences, such as pictograms; websites and other digital designs that augment the visitor experience; or site-specific moving images that narrate and educate us about heritage. The intention is to provide built environment professionals with a fuller understanding of the increasing need to inform and promote heritage experiences.
The second phase in year two is more experimental. Using participatory design approaches it will use the taxonomy to generate heritage graphic prototypes that represent both public and professional perspectives on the purpose and realisation of commemoration and memorialisation. Co-design methods will bring together people from different interest groups to decide on and design representations of urban heritage. From this we will produce a suite of innovative designs that assimilate content and creativity to suggest new ways of working for creative industry practitioners in China and the UK. This phase will incorporate contentious aspects of design between east and west such as multiple language uses in relation to local-global perspectives on heritage. New design paradigms will emerge that form the basis for a briefing note for urban planners working at different settlement sizes, from the villages to the megacity.
The aim is to foster good working relations between academics, businesses, policy professionals, community groups and other organisations who are committed to supporting the mutual development of the creative industries for urban heritage in China and the UK. Through a combination of field visits, journal and conference papers, practice-led and practice-based approaches, participatory design, public exhibition, and digital archival practices the findings will be widely available. The project will establish new methods for recording, archiving and interpreting graphic images of urban heritage, acting as a model for further work beyond the project for application by other researchers globally and in particular those countries eligible for overseas development assistance.
Planned Impact
The project will provide a model for interpreting urban graphic heritage to members of professional subject associations, institutions and organisations, who will benefit from a detailed analysis of graphic images that inform the heritage visitor experience. In China, where rapid urbanization that has happened in recent decades, the project will raise awareness of the activities and provide models for future development. Creative industries practitioners in the UK will also benefit from seeing the development of an holistic approach to graphic design for urban heritage whereas in China the project will provide valuable reference for integrative approaches for the benefit of cultural heritage challenges in culture and tourism.
1. Urban planning and environmental design
The project will inform specialists in city planning and local authorities who seek to control and better understand the role of graphic design and the integrative use of typography, illustration and photography in brand visual identity, digital design, film and animation, packaging and point of sale, print and advertising, retail and environmental design, for the benefit of urban heritage. These include policy makers, planning officers, and stakeholders from commerce, business and industry. The project will provide local authorities and their partner organisations with archived case studies from Shanghai, Leicester and other places, which will explain site-specific relations between graphic form, function and urban context.
2. Heritage Industries and Conservation
Conservationists and curators in the UK and China, responsible for the care, conservation, interpretation and future development of graphic images will benefit from the body of expertise consolidated and developed by the project. They will be invited to participate in the project's activities and have access to the research outcomes, which will inform future archival, collections and exhibition initiatives, as well as provide guidance for the commissioning of creative industries practitioners. The project will show the value of graphic objects to urban heritage, leading to better commissioning and cultural enrichment of the urban image, conservation awareness and enhanced conservation policy.
3. Public and affected communities
The project will engage with media organisations on many levels. This will be through project members' existing Anglo-China institutional links. We will also foster links with national media initiatives such as Guardian Cities, http://www.theguardian.com/cities. The project will achieve demonstrable impact by: a. involving residents in the participatory design workshop and development of prototypes; b. drawing interest at events such at Tongji Design Week (China) and the summer school (UK), as well as new visitors to the online resources of the project and to project exhibition.
4. Design community and built environment professionals
The project's participatory and co-design design workshops will engage professionals in graphic design and in the built environment. They will foster dialogue with and between each of these industries through their design communities. The direction of the project will be informed by these non-university contributions and understandings.
Deliverables and milestones will be measured through the PIs and Co-Is regularly reporting on and reviewing project deliverables. The pathways to impact will be monitored, benefits measured, and impact maximised through ongoing discussion at monthly meetings. Impact will be measured by publication view, download and citation, website hit rates, resource downloads, as well as media coverage and the contribution to debate on policy for urban planning and heritage sectors. Qualitative feedback will be gathered throughout each event to contribute to applications for further funding for the further development of a planning tool for public engagement beyond the project life-cycle.
1. Urban planning and environmental design
The project will inform specialists in city planning and local authorities who seek to control and better understand the role of graphic design and the integrative use of typography, illustration and photography in brand visual identity, digital design, film and animation, packaging and point of sale, print and advertising, retail and environmental design, for the benefit of urban heritage. These include policy makers, planning officers, and stakeholders from commerce, business and industry. The project will provide local authorities and their partner organisations with archived case studies from Shanghai, Leicester and other places, which will explain site-specific relations between graphic form, function and urban context.
2. Heritage Industries and Conservation
Conservationists and curators in the UK and China, responsible for the care, conservation, interpretation and future development of graphic images will benefit from the body of expertise consolidated and developed by the project. They will be invited to participate in the project's activities and have access to the research outcomes, which will inform future archival, collections and exhibition initiatives, as well as provide guidance for the commissioning of creative industries practitioners. The project will show the value of graphic objects to urban heritage, leading to better commissioning and cultural enrichment of the urban image, conservation awareness and enhanced conservation policy.
3. Public and affected communities
The project will engage with media organisations on many levels. This will be through project members' existing Anglo-China institutional links. We will also foster links with national media initiatives such as Guardian Cities, http://www.theguardian.com/cities. The project will achieve demonstrable impact by: a. involving residents in the participatory design workshop and development of prototypes; b. drawing interest at events such at Tongji Design Week (China) and the summer school (UK), as well as new visitors to the online resources of the project and to project exhibition.
4. Design community and built environment professionals
The project's participatory and co-design design workshops will engage professionals in graphic design and in the built environment. They will foster dialogue with and between each of these industries through their design communities. The direction of the project will be informed by these non-university contributions and understandings.
Deliverables and milestones will be measured through the PIs and Co-Is regularly reporting on and reviewing project deliverables. The pathways to impact will be monitored, benefits measured, and impact maximised through ongoing discussion at monthly meetings. Impact will be measured by publication view, download and citation, website hit rates, resource downloads, as well as media coverage and the contribution to debate on policy for urban planning and heritage sectors. Qualitative feedback will be gathered throughout each event to contribute to applications for further funding for the further development of a planning tool for public engagement beyond the project life-cycle.
Publications
Hang Pan
(2021)
Framing Multimodal Discourses about Place as Graphic Landscaping
Harland R
(2022)
Food's urban graphic heritage in Walthamstow
Harland RG,
(2021)
Repositioning Graphic Heritage
Robert G Harland
(2021)
Design outreach: Utilising graphic heritage for heritage interpretation
Xu, J.
(2019)
Colour in Urban Places: A Case Study of Leicester City Football Club Blue
in Journal of Colour Research and Application
| Title | Andu cafe |
| Description | Photograph of fascia panel showing how migrant communities use food retail as an expression of identity. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| URL | https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/figure/Andu_cafe/19897735/1 |
| Title | Andu cafe |
| Description | Photograph of fascia panel showing how migrant communities use food retail as an expression of identity. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| URL | https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/figure/Andu_cafe/19897735 |
| Title | Design for Heritage in Theory call for papers |
| Description | Cover design for 'Design for Heritage in Theory' symposium proceedings. Design by Johnny Xu (2019). |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | The object has attracted 317 views and 49 down loads since being uploaded to the Loughborough Urban Graphic Object Observatory. |
| URL | https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/physical_object/Design_for_Heritage_in_Theory_cover_design_f... |
| Title | Design for Heritage in Theory call for papers |
| Description | Design for Heritage in Theory symposium call for papers. Design Johnny Xu (2019) |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Impact | The event attracted 60 people from education, industry and local government. The design has attracted 459 views and 47 downloads from the Repositioning Graphic Heritage website. |
| URL | https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/figure/Design_for_Heritage_in_Theory_call_for_papers/1188250... |
| Title | Exploring Urban Graphic Heritage exhibition panels |
| Description | Sixteen panels for the Exploring Urban Graphic Heritage exhibition on display at the Design for Heritage in Theory symposium, 15 October 2019, at Tongji University College of Design and Innovation, during Pan-Tongji Design Week 2019. The exhibition displayed some of the early findings from the Newton Fund project Repositioning Graphic Heritage, and included original photo-documentation, and remained on display until 31 December 2019. Theexhibition responded directly to the research question: What new [perspectives can graphic design contribute to design for urban heritage? It featured four case studies each from the UK and China, as well as focusing on scale, pattern, colour, typography, illustration and photography. Design and photography by Robert Harland and Johnny Xu. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | Since being uploaded to the Loughborough Urban Graphic Object Archve in March 2020 the exhibition panels have attracted 449 views and 114 downloads. |
| URL | https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/physical_object/Understanding_Urban_Graphic_Heritage_exhibit... |
| Title | Exploring Urban Graphic Heritage exhibition postcard |
| Description | Postcard for 'Exploring Urban Graphic Heritage' exhibition. Design by Johnny Xu (2019). The card is designed to accompany the 'Design for Heritage in Theory' symposium proceedings for the event of the same name on 15th October 2019 at Tongji University College of Design and Innovation. |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | The object has received 298 views and 43 downloads since being made available through the Loughborough Urban Graphic Object Archive. |
| URL | http://www.urban-graphic-object.org/project/repositioning-graphic-heritage/ |
| Title | Repositioning Graphic Heritage poster |
| Description | Poster design and announcement for AHRC Repositioning Graphic Heritage project launch event at Tongji University College of Design and Innovation on 13 October 2018. Design by Johnny Xu (2018). |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Impact | Unknown. |
| URL | https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/physical_object/Repositioning_Graphic_Heritage_poster/118823... |
| Title | Shanghai Language Heritage: Huxiaoyan Branding Design |
| Description | This research considers Shanghai dialect as part of cultural heritage, reflecting local culture and identity. Through an illustrative character 'Huxiaoyan', this project explores the usage of local language in dynamic aspects of daily life. The branding strategy aims to encourage young age groups to use own native language more often to promote Shanghai cultural heritage through local language. The work responds to a project set by Dr Robert Harland and Dr Johnny Xu, and directed by Dr Zhang Xuequing at Tongji University College of Design and Innovation, as part of the AHRC-Newton Fund Repositioning Graphic Heritage research project between Loughborough University (UK) and Tongji University (China). |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| URL | https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/media/Shanghai_Language_Heritage_Huxiaoyan_Branding_Design/1... |
| Title | Shanghai Language Heritage: Huxiaoyan Branding Design |
| Description | This research considers Shanghai dialect as part of cultural heritage, reflecting local culture and identity. Through an illustrative character 'Huxiaoyan', this project explores the usage of local language in dynamic aspects of daily life. The branding strategy aims to encourage young age groups to use own native language more often to promote Shanghai cultural heritage through local language. The work responds to a project set by Dr Robert Harland and Dr Johnny Xu, and directed by Dr Zhang Xuequing at Tongji University College of Design and Innovation, as part of the AHRC-Newton Fund Repositioning Graphic Heritage research project between Loughborough University (UK) and Tongji University (China). |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| URL | https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/media/Shanghai_Language_Heritage_Huxiaoyan_Branding_Design/1... |
| Description | What were the most significant achievements from the award? Several key insights have emerged from the project. 1. Cities, heritage and design: Since the early twenty-first century, urban planners have attributed greater importance to design in the development of cities and urban places. Cities such as Shanghai have embraced this through gaining status as a UNESCO Creative City of Design. The recent rapid urban development in China positions Shanghai as a beacon for heritage-led regeneration through landmark schemes such as Xintiandi and the Bund. This has synthesised a three way concern for cities, heritage, and design. 2. Design literacy: One perspective that recognises the importance of design in urban development is the UK government's recognition that more local authority workers should receive training in 'design literacy' (a concept that stems from graphic design). However, the research reported in the Repositioning Graphic Heritage project suggests that design literacy is a little understood concept, even though considered highly relevant. 3. Design for heritage: Since the turn of the millennium, design has become more important in heritage due to an increase in global tourism and a need for more sustainable heritage management. This has led to closer scrutiny of the way heritage is interpreted and presented. As a consequence, the visual means by which cultural heritage is communicated is in a state of flux as heritage practitioners and theorists extend their interest in heritage interpretation and presentation to representation and representational practices. Graphic design is one such practice. 4. New perspectives: Given the recognition that design is important in the development of cities, that design is gaining in importance in heritage, and that heritage interpretation is expanding its appreciation, understanding, and value with regard to representational practices, an expanded interpretation of graphic design provides a new perspective on sustainable heritage management by recognising the need for graphic heritage as a practice and theory. Graphic heritage is thus well placed to bridge the recent acknowledgment of the need for a closer relationship between cultural heritage and the creative industries. 5. Community based co-creation: The widespread understanding of graphic communication as a fundamental human trait enables graphic heritage to straddle so-called high culture heritage, popular culture heritage, as well as grass-roots heritage, for bottom-up as well as top-down models of heritage practice. 6. Ubiquitous: Graphic heritage is pervasive in cultural heritage. Its presence within both urban and rural heritage locations adds to the view by heritage scholars that whenever one engages in acts of heritage conservation it is essentially a communicative act. Graphic heritage is an act of heritage communication. To what extent were the award objectives met? OBJECTIVE 1: Establish a mutually beneficial research relationship between UK and China that will develop expertise in the challenges and opportunities associated with the role of graphic design for urban heritage. Progress on objective one is evidenced through cooperation and the organisation of several events, meetings, fieldwork visits, symposia, workshops and exhibitions, during three visit periods to China between 22-27 October 2018, 1-9 April 2019, and 12-19 October 2019 (see further details below under Objective 3). Each visit has required careful planning through team meetings as well as advance planning for establishing the next visit date. OBJECTIVE 2: Create a taxonomy of urban graphic heritage objects for the purpose of informing future design, guidance and planning in graphic design for urban heritage. Progress on objective two has been facilitated in four ways: 1. Heritage site visits in the UK and China with the intention of understanding the role of language in the presentation and interpretation of heritage; 2. A symposium, workshop, and exhibition in China (Shanghai), and summer school in the UK (Loughborough/Leicester) to stimulate discourse about urban graphic heritage with a focus on Design Literacy and Design for Heritage; 3. A call for written papers to analyse the way Chinese researchers identify and discuss urban graphic heritage; 4. A review of key documents for evidence of discussion about urban graphic heritage. With regard to item 4, the document 'Principles for the Conservation of Heritage Sites in China', published in 2015, is a key reference and provides a useful account through a series of 47 articles. In particular, guidance on 'site management' emphasises the importance of 'providing quality exhibitions and interpretation' as well as 'managing tourism', and several categories of heritage provide a useful scope for the nature of heritage objects: Architectural painting; Wall paintings; Painted statuary; Stone carvings; Archaeological sites and ruins; Modern and contemporary sites and architecture; Commemorative site; Cultural landscapes, heritage routes and canals; Historically and culturally famous cities, towns and villages. The 'Principles' document also contains a glossary of English and Chinese terms associated with the conservation of heritage, providing a significant overview of key ideas associated with heritage as well as a clear indication of where key concepts have been overlooked. With regard to taxonomy, it was initially envisaged to publish information about this in year one of the project, but as new lines of inquiry have emerged it seems more sensible and beneficial to treat this as a final outcome. OBJECTIVE 3: Encourage interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary knowledge exchange between design, planning and heritage professionals for the benefit of new and innovative creative industries practices in China and the UK. This is met through the number of meetings, events, and fieldwork activities undertaken since the start of the project. Three visits to China have facilitated to opportunity to introduce and share ideas about urban graphic heritage, and fieldwork has also been undertaken in the UK. IN CHINA Shanghai visit 1: 22-27 October 2018 • Project team meeting (Tongji University College of Design and Innovation) • Repositioning Graphic Heritage launch event at Tongji University College of Design and Innovation, during Tongji Design Week; • Heritage fieldwork visits to: The Bund, Xintiandi, Lujiazui, Thames Town, Jiangwan Stadium, Siping Street Commmunity Neighbourhood Centre, Imperial Street (Hangzhou), Sheshan National Forest Park Shanghai visit 2: 1-9 April 2019 • Project team meeting (Tongji University College of Design and Innovation) • Heritage fieldwork visits to: Fuxin Road pocket garden, Elite Valley Creative Industries Park, West Nanjing Road, Tianzifang, Kee Private Members Club, The Bund, Hongkou Riverside, Buildings Garden Bridge, Shanghai Urban Planning Museum, Lujiazui, Tianmashan (Songjiang district). • Meetings (general): Shanghai Creative Industry Association. Shanghai Creative Industry Centre, China-Britain Business Council, China Bridge International, UNESCO Creative City (Shanghai) Promotion Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, British Centre (Shanghai), • Meetings (creative industries): Tongji Tiandi Institute of Art and Design Innovation, Etal Design, The Network with a Silver Lining, DeBoer Wang Studio - Branding Public Space Research Lab, China Bridge International Shanghai visit 3: 12-19 October 2019 • Project team meeting (Tongji University College of Design and Innovation) • Events: Design for Heritage in Theory symposium, Understanding urban graphic heritage exhibition, Design for Heritage in Practice workshop • Heritage fieldwork visits to: Yangpu Waterfront, Tianzifang. IN THE UK 11 June 2019 Heritage fieldwork visits to: King Richard III Visitor Centre, Leicester 22-23 July 2019 Heritage fieldwork visits to: Liverpool - Maritime Mercantile City (UNESCO designated World Heritage Site) 16-17 September Heritage fieldwork visits to: London: Covent Garden (London Transport Museum, Piccadilly Circus), Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell Road, Hatton Garden, Cowcross Street (meetings with SAVE British Heritage and Alan Baxter Associates), Smithfield Market; Bankside (Blackfriars Bridge, Tate Modern, Tower Bridge, Southwark Cathedral, Borough High Street and Borough Market, The George Inn); Dalston (Kingsland Road). Additional Heritage fieldwork visits undertaken but not part of the project: 25 August 2019 Portmeirion 07 September 2019 Wembley Stadium 02 January 2020 Reykjavik 29 February 2020 Morecambe OBJECTIVE 4: Develop the relationships, knowledge and outputs from collaboration to explore opportunities to extend the research through more substantive applications for funding between UK and China. The project team has worked on several grant applications to support the development and continuation of the institutional relationship. In China 1. 'Creative Economy and Urban Cultural Heritage Design Master Workshop' (2019) from Shanghai Education Committee Creative Workshop Scheme (RMB600,000). Awarded. 2. 'Repositioning Graphic Heritage - Shanghai City Image Preservation, Inheritance and Development' (2018-19) from Shanghai Peak Discipline Program Fund for High Education Institutions (RMB5,000). Awarded. 3. Financial support and accommodation from UNESCO Creative City (Shanghai) Promotion Office for the 'Design for Heritage in Practice' workshop, 19 October 2019. Awarded. In UK 4. UK-China Creative Industries Partnership Development Grants Towards Understanding the Typographic Townscape (submitted 16 January 2019) £10,572 Not awarded. 5. AHRC UK-China Research-Industry Creative Partnerships A-D Heritage: Assimilating Analogue-Digital Symbol Systems for Hyper-reality Heritage (submitted 24 October 2019) £498,759.48 Not awarded. ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES During the course of the project opportunities have arisen to present the AHRC Repositioning Graphic Heritage project not accounted for in the initial planning. These have been in the form of invitations to participate in research and/or heritage focused events, as follows: Design, Location and Place Identity, Leicester (Design Season 2) LCB Depot, Leicester, 9 October 2019 Critical Heritage Studies: Current Discourses and Global Challenges Centre for Critical Heritage Studies Symposium, Gothenburg, 7-8 November 2019 UK-China Collaborations in the Creative Industries, Shanghai, 2-4 December 2019 Heritage for Global Challenges, PRAXIS: Arts and Humanities for Global Development West Bek'aa, Lebanon, 24-26 February 2020 |
| Exploitation Route | The outcomes of this funding will be useful for those involved in heritage management specifically responsible for the presentation and interpretation of heritage information. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy,Education,Environment,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Retail,Transport,Other |
| URL | https://www.urban-graphic-object.org/project/repositioning-graphic-heritage/ |
| Description | The project has so far delivered five 'places' of impact activity (one of which crossed over directly with an event targeted at the academic community in China). These were as follows: 1. INTERNATIONAL CREATIVE CITIES DESIGN INNOVATION FORUM, SHANGHAI In April 2019 the project team for the AHRC funded Repositioning Graphic Heritage presented the project to UNESCO Creative City (Shanghai) Promotion Office. Directly resulting from this, Dr Pan Jin, Vice-Secretary General, invited Dean of Loughborough University's School of Design and Creative Arts, Prof. Cees de Bont to share his views on 'Visual Quality for Better Urban Environments' at the International Creative Cities Design Innovation Forum, Shanghai, 15th May 2019. See the following links for examples of event coverage: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/NusvHkVqFS4Dj4jEVRfSRw http://www.sheitc.sh.gov.cn/zxxx/682508.htm Event Supervisors: Industrial Policy Department of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China; China National Commission for UNESCO; Shanghai Cultural & Creative Industry Leading Group Office; Publicity Department of CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee; Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization. Event Organizers: UNESCO Creative Cities (Shanghai) Promotion Office; Jiefang Daily Group. Event Special Supporter: Shanghai Chang Ning District Government. 150 delegates: Representatives of government, creative industries associations, architects and urban planners, and entrepreneurs UNESCO, US, UK, Italy and China (Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan). Keynotes: Lars Onsager Stordal, Director of the UN-Habitat Asia-Pacific Office Partnership Management Department; Wang Xiao An, Chief Architect of the East China Institute of Architectural Design, Huajian Group; Cees de BONT Dean of the School of Design, Loughborough University; Flora Fang, President of Shanghai Chuangyi Industry Co., Ltd.; Filippo Gabbian, Founder of KOKAISTUDIOS Design Office, Italy; Wu Kaiying, Managing Director of Huaping Investment Group of the United States The event received full page coverage in the Jiefang Daily newspaper (circulation c.700,000) and online coverage at Shanghai Creative City Think Tank (https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/NusvHkVqFS4Dj4jEVRfSRw) and Shanghai City Government (http://www.sheitc.sh.gov.cn/zxxx/682508.htm). 2. DESIGN, LOCATION AND PLACE IDENTITY (AN EVENT IN DESIGN SEASON 2, LEICESTER) This event was part of the second Leicester Design Season organised with Dr Sean Clark from Interact Digital Arts, and Steve Barradell and Guy Boyle, Directors of Graff.io Arts. 30 people attended from various creative industry practices. https://interactdigitalarts.uk/diary/2019/10/design-and-location https://graff.io/blogs/art/design-season-augmented-reality-talk-at-the-lcb-depot http://www.lcbdepot.co.uk/ 3. EXPLORING URBAN GRAPHIC HERITAGE EXHIBITION / DESIGN FOR HERITAGE IN THEORY SYMPOSIUM, SHANGHAI The symposium and exhibition attracted 60 people, including a delegation of 14 from the Zhejiang Association of Creative Design. 4. DESIGN FOR HERITAGE IN PRACTICE WORKSHOP, SHANGHAI This event featured a panel discussion between, Jan Stael von Holstein (Chairman, Silver Lining), Wu Zhenwei (Shanghai Creative Industry Association), Petra Johnson (Artist in residence, Tongji University), Robert Harland (Loughborough University). The workshop activity attracted 28 participants (heritage professionals, policy makers, public administrators, creative designers, artists). 5. URBAN PERSPECTIVES ON DESIGN LITERACY SUMMER SCHOOL, LOUGHBOROUGH & LEICESTER This two day event, co-organised with Leicester Urban Observatory and endorsed by the Design Research Society attracted 16 practitioners and 13 academics, collectively covering the fields of architecture, arts practice, arts management, conservation, curation, design, design management, engineering, graphic design, human geography, landscape architecture, librarianship, planning (policy and development management), research, urban design and urban studies. The AHRC Repositioning Graphic Heritage project featured as a short workshop event during the afternoon of day one. A full review of the event can be located at: https://doi.org/10.17028/rd.lboro.9771473.v1 Shorter reviews feature: https://leicesterurbanobservatory.wordpress.com/ https://www.designresearchsociety.org/articles/event-report-urban-perspectives-on-design-literacy-summer-school |
| First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
| Sector | Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | Citation in Heritage for Global Challenges Lebanon Workshop Report |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| URL | https://changingthestory.leeds.ac.uk/praxis-publications/ |
| Description | Project cited in Praxis' Heritage for Global Challenges |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| URL | https://changingthestory.leeds.ac.uk/praxis-publications/ |
| Description | Design Outreach: Utilizing Graphic Heritage for Heritage Interpretation |
| Amount | £50,288 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2021 |
| End | 10/2021 |
| Description | GCRF/Newton consolidation funds |
| Amount | £35,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Newton Fund |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2022 |
| End | 03/2023 |
| Title | Digital Storytelling and photo-documentation |
| Description | Participants in the 'Bradford's urban graphic heritage: A digital storytelling workshop' undertook photo-documentation of Bradford's urban environment, and then create storyboards that explained the reasons why. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | 27 participants from diverse disciplinary backgrounds (listed in the workshop publication) engaged in the workshop activity. |
| URL | https://www.urban-graphic-object.org/event/bradfords-urban-graphic-heritage-a-digital-storytelling-w... |
| Title | Tracing Shanghai participatory design workshop, Putuo Youth Cultural Centre, Shanghai, China, 27 December 2020 |
| Description | Overview and Introductions The cultural and creative industries are becoming an important driving force for China's economic and social development. Shanghai as a creative city plays an important role in disseminating local culture to the world. In this sense, the fusion of creativity and culture has inspired the vitality of the city. In 2018, the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration held the Shanghai Tourism Souvenir Design Competition, dedicated to creating local tourist souvenirs with local identities, and promoting the spirit of "Shanghai style." In 2020, on East Nanjing Road in Huangpu District, the first "Shanghainese" gift shop "Baili Haipai Gift Shop" with Shanghai culture was established, displaying the cultural and historical Shanghainese products in a brand-new way. In this context, in 2020 Putuo Youth Cultural Centre launched the Putuo Gift creative design project, with the aim to carry out thematic design and production through the existing pottery, painting, lantern workshops, reflecting the Putuo local communities' history and culture, and promoting the spiritual life of Putuo District. From old shop signage, billboards, street signs to the names, fonts, patterns, layouts, and even special packaging with gifts, all may reflect the original Shanghai style. How can these elements be applied as innovative designs? How can this portray the stories from daily life, and demonstrate the visual recognition and emotional expression of our home? How can the presentation and creation process of local culture and creative design be developed through the context of education? Based on these questions, the Tracing Shanghai researchers collaborated with the Putuo Youth Cultural Centre, intending to conduct a series of activities to explore possible solutions. This presents opportunity for researchers to use early findings from the Tracing Shanghai project to extend the project research. The purpose is to explore the design methods for the Putuo Gift project, based on the local history and culture of Caoyang New Village in Putuo District Shanghai. The Tracing Shanghai workshop consisted of three phases: 1. Participatory design workshop; 2. Co-design workshop; 3. Design exhibition. The workshop attracted 20 delegates: local residents (4); Designers (6); Teachers (6); Researchers (4). Activities 10:00-12:00 Visit Caoyang New Village History Museum 13:00-15:00 Participatory design workshop The workshop divided into four groups consisting of researchers, teachers, designers, local community residents, carrying out problem sharing and brainstorming based on local culture. Through in-depth exchanges, each group came up with a few key words, shared their views and opinions, and further explained their perspectives for understanding of Caoyang's local culture. In the design challenge section, each group conceptualized design ideas based on the key elements of the Putuo Gift. The workshop designed two tools: a brainstorming board and a storyboard. The brainstorming section first asked about the context of the gift, including when, where, who, and what gift, helping the participants associate the form and content of gifts through people, objects, places and circumstances. The second step was to construct a complete plot that may happen based on the first step. This helped participants consolidate their own fragment thinking, derive key words, and use these to visualize their abstract concept of gifts. Simple illustration was also used to outline the storyline, and at the same time, describe the background of the plot and introduce the theme of the gifts. As a result, four sets of valid data were collected from four groups. Each group came out four themes: (1) commemorative coins across time and space; (2) lanterns from original architectural patterns; (3) packages for a journey to finding home; and, (4) a virtual tour of the future community. These materials emerged from consideration and discussion amongst the participants, and provide real content for a subsequent design stage, providing creativity and assistance for the final production of Putuo gifts. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Through the workshop visual elicitation helped participants to conceptualise the ideas. The process of contextualisation formed anchor points to construct a comprehensive story aligned to the design objectives. Storytelling created an opportunity to consolidate and put loose ideas together enabling the visualisation of the design outcomes in a real context. The workshop demonstrated potential to advocate new approaches and activities for place branding . During the workshop, researchers were able to have casual conversations with participants, who provided subtle but important cues to inspire design proposals. For example, one of the local residents pointed out that a mint was located in Caoyang area, helping the designers to come out the concept of coin for the gift. This case suggests that interviews could be undertaken after the workshop to further collect the information from the local knowledge providers. In planning a workshop, it will be advisable to consider the opportunities as much as possible to maximize the values of the research activities. |
| URL | https://www.urban-graphic-object.org/event/tracing-shanghai-participatory-design-workshop/ |
| Title | Loughborough Urban Graphic Object Archive |
| Description | This archive is an institutional repository into which data from the project has been uploaded. Links to the various data kinds are linked to from the www.urban-graphic-object.org website and the https://www.urban-graphic-object.org/project/repositioning-graphic-heritage/ project page |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | 2020: Graphic design studies: what can it be? Following in Victor Margolin's footsteps for possible answers (conference presentation). 366 views. WEBSITE ANALYTICS (for the calendar year 2020-21) The www.urban-graphic-object.org website received 2769 page views from 554 users and 549 new users, from 847 different locations, the top four being in the UK (438) China (90), US (78), France (39). 80% of these were from desktop computers, and 20% from mobile technology. High points in viewing coincide with links published on the events page on June 6th, such as the Design for Heritage in Theory symposium event and Design for Heritage in Practice workshop event information, both staged in Shanghai the previous October. The Loughborough Urban Graphic Object Archive had 45,461 views and 13,517 downloads, with high peaks in mid-July and early December. |
| URL | https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/Urban_Graphic_Object_Archive |
| Description | Bradford's urban graphic heritage: A digital storytelling workshop |
| Organisation | Bradford City of Film Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Through the partnership with UK National Commission for UNESCO I am responsible for liaising with Prof. David Wilson, Director of Bradford UNESCO City of Film to facilitate and chair meetings, as well as co-organise and participate in events and activities of mutual benefit. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Prof. David Wilson has played a lead role in meetings with Loughborough University and UKNC, as well as co-organising and participating in events and activities of mutual benefit. |
| Impact | See short film here: https://youtu.be/AZmfmMMsDmA |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Design outreach: Utilising graphic heritage for heritage interpretation |
| Organisation | UK National Commission for UNESCO |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | This partnership has directly resulted from my invited attendance at the Heritage for Global Challenges Conference, West Bek'aa, Lebanon, 24-26 February 2020 (organised by PRAXIS at the University of Leeds). This resulted from my role as PI for the Newton Fund Repositioning Graphic Heritage (RGH) project (AH/S003398/1). Since then I have taken a proactive approach to developing the relationship with UK National Commission for UNESCO (UKNC) through direct contact with James Bridge (Chief Executive and Secrétaire Générale). This has resulted in a knowledge exchange framework between LU & UKNC to establish a foundation for collaboration over the next 3-5 years. This will translate insights into practical tools (guidelines, toolkits, good practice) for the benefit of sustainable heritage management practices. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Findings from the RGH have formed the basis of discussion with several members of the UKNC team, including, James Bridge (Secrétaire Générale), Matt Rabagliati (Head of Policy, Communications and Research), and Moira Nash (Policy Advisor) in their 'seconded' role 'seconded' to LU to explore reshaping insights from the RGH project to align with UKNC priorities. Contributions have been made to the co-writing of a joint report as well as participation in workshop activity. See: https://www.urban-graphic-object.org/project/bradfords/ https://www.urban-graphic-object.org/event/bradfords-urban-graphic-heritage-a-digital-storytelling-workshop/ |
| Impact | Project report | Harland, R.G., Nash, M., Rabagliati, M., & Bridge, J. (2021) Design outreach: Utilising graphic heritage for heritage interpretation, Loughborough University and United Kingdom National Commission for UNESCO. (Available on request) Public workshop | Bradford's urban graphic heritage: A digital storytelling workshop. Bradford UNESCO City of Film and United Kingdom National Commission for UNESCO, Bradford Town Hall, 28 September 2021. See: https://youtu.be/AZmfmMMsDmA Session chair | Harland, R.G., Inclusive and Sustainable Cities. Heritage and Our Sustainable Future: Research, Practice, Policy and Impact UNESCO Conference (online), 23 February 2021. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Bradford's urban graphic heritage: A digital storytelling workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | As part of the Design outreach: Utilizing graphic heritage project, Bradford UNESCO City of Film hosted an inaugural scoping study workshop to explore the relevance and importance of urban graphic heritage for local-residents, heritage practitioners, policy makers, public administrators, not-for-profit organisations, government agencies, creative designers and academic researchers. The workshop encouraged participants to look at the fabric of the city through as urban-graphic-heritage, to reveal associated meanings through personal and collective narratives about places in the City Centre and Little Germany, two of the city's six conservation areas. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.urban-graphic-object.org/event/bradfords-urban-graphic-heritage-a-digital-storytelling-w... |
| Description | Design for Heritage in Practice Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | How can participatory design approaches enhance graphic urban heritage for greater social cohesion?' This question was the starting point for a day-long workshop organised with the Shanghai International Creative City Think Tank at the UNESCO Creative City (Shanghai) Promotion Office. The workshop was publicised through various networks, and 28 participants attended from a broad range of disciplines including heritage professionals, policy makers, public administrators, creative designers, and artists. The aim was to explore the communication and representation of urban heritage for the benefit of the creative industries in China and the United Kingdom (UK), and to provide the opportunity to explore ideas about design quality in the heritage sector through dialogue between academic researchers and professional practitioners. The event was split into a morning and afternoon session, beginning with a panel discussion about the question 'What is heritage?' This provoked discussion between panel participants - Jan Stael von Holstein, (Chairman, Silver Lining), Wu Zhenwei (Shanghai Creative Industry Association), Petra Johnson (Artist in residence, Tongji University), and Robert Harland (Loughborough University) - and delegates who explored the tangible and intangible nature of cultural heritage. A participatory design workshop took place in the afternoon and explored opportunities for potential collaboration between practitioners and academics, highlighting focus areas for further events to develop opportunities.A toolkit was used to help stakeholders from both design and non-design backgrounds see opportunities and share ideas about urban graphic heritage, and understand the strategic and operational resources needed to embed them through UK-China collaboration. The key outcome of the session was the recognition that there were significant opportunities for partnership between the UK and China in the heritage sector. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.urban-graphic-object.org/event/design-for-heritage-in-practice-workshop-19-october-2019/ |
| Description | Design for Heritage in Theory Symposium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | We wanted to know who, in China, might be interested in research into urban graphic heritage. Is there is such a field of research in China? If so, what subject matter might constitute urban graphic heritage? What methods do researchers use to understand urban graphic heritage? What language do researchers use to discuss urban graphic heritage? We issued a call for papers inviting researchers to participate in an informal one-day symposium at Tongji University College of Design and Innovation on 15 October 2019. The event was designed for academic researchers interested in graphic heritage. The call for papers was circulated in February 2019 and 13 abstracts from 12 Chinese universities plus one from an independent company were received for peer review.The objective was to explore what urban graphic heritage might mean in China. Nine of those who submitted papers were able to attend the symposium and were also willing to draft a short paper to accompany their presentations. Accompanying the symposium was an exhibition, Exploring Urban Graphic Heritage, and the event also linked to a Design for Heritage in Practice workshop co-organised with the Shanghai International Creative City Think Tank at the UNESCO Creative City (Shanghai) Promotion Office, on 19 October 2019. All three events were activities in the Pan-Tongji Design Week: A new Decade', co-organised by Tongji University College of Design and Innovation with Yangpu District Government. The symposium papers are available in Chinese with short accompanying abstracts in English. They follow an introduction to the research, reproduced from a conference paper 'Defining urban graphic heritages for economic development in the UK and China' published in the proceedings of the International Association of Societies of Design Research (IASDR) conference held at Manchester Metropolitan University between 1-4 November 2019. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.urban-graphic-object.org/event/symposium-design-for-heritage-in-theory-15-october-2019/ |
| Description | Heritage and Our Sustainable Future: Research, Practice, Policy and Impact |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | I was invited by UK National Commission for UNESCO to co-organise and chair the 'Inclusive and Sustainable Cities' session at the Heritage and Our Sustainable Future: Research, Practice, Policy, and Impact 2021 UNESCO conference, which attracted over 1000 delegates. A brief report can be located here: https://changingthestory.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/110/2021/12/Inclusive-Development-for-Sustainable-Cities-Brief-Report.pdf |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://unesco.org.uk/inclusive-development-for-sustainable-cities-brief-report/ |
| Description | Tracing Shanghai Participatory Design workshop, 27 December 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | What role can everyday life stories play in emotional expressions of local community? How can graphic elements from the townscape be applied to innovative design for the promotion of place? Researcher from the 'Tracing Shanghai' project group collaborated with the Putuo Youth Cultural Center, to conduct a series of participatory design workshop activities to discover answers to these questions. The purpose was to explore how co-design methods could contribute to ideas for 'Putuo Gifts' based on the local history and culture of Caoyang New Village in the Putuo District of Shanghai. The workshop was organized in two parts. In the morning, participants visited Caoyang New Village History Museum, where the museumcurator introduced the history of Caoyang New Village development, sharing the stories about local communities. This laid the foundation of knowledge for the second part of the day through workshop activity. The workshop was divided into four groups consisting of researchers, teachers, designers, local community residents, to undertake problem sharing and brainstorming about local culture. Each group identified one theme that provided content for a subsequent design stage, providing a source of creativity and development for the final production of a 'Putuo gift'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.urban-graphic-object.org/event/tracing-shanghai-participatory-design-workshop/ |
| Description | Urban Perspectives on Design Literacy Summer School |
| 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 | [Short report on event] What is design literacy? The question 'What is design literacy?' recently attracted the attention of practitioners and academics at a second Leicester Urban Observatory summer school held at Loughborough University and in the City of Leicester. Staged over two days, the first part took place at Loughborough, hosted by the Urbanismstrand of the institution's internationally recognised Built Environment research beacon. The second day was in Leicester, first at Maber Architects and then City Hall (a base for further field exploration of some real planning problems faced by city planners). Design Research Society president, Professor Lady Rachel Cooper OBE (Distinguished Professor of Design Management and Policy, Lancaster University) led proceedings by providing insight into the sensory aesthetics of a city. Her response to a perceived government need for design literacy focused on the necessity for design in city decision-making, and the way design should be considered in all policy decisions about places, services and overall experience. The event also provided the opportunity for Dr Robert Harland to introduce the AHRC funded 'Repositioning Graphic Heritage' project in a short workshop. Definitions of heritage were explored before two heritage experiences were relayed: (1) visiting the King Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester, and (2) the commemoration of sporting success as a result of the city's football team, Leicester City, recently winning the football premiership. This was interspersed with two exercises that asked delegates to recall a recent heritage experience, and how they had learned about the heritage by considering a conceptual framework for communicating heritage. It soon became apparent that despite its inclusion in The Farrell Review* design literacy is not understood by those working either in academia or at the heart of city governance: nobody yet seems to know what it stands for. Judging by the range of summer school participants - spanning architecture, arts practice, arts management, conservation, curation, design, design management, engineering, graphic design, human geography, landscape architecture, librarianship, planning, research, urban design and urban studies - a useful interpretation is yet to emerge. How will places be greatly improved if planners, landscape designers and highways engineers are more fluent in design literacy? The summer school did not provide quick answers: it's clearly something that needs grappling with. However, at the event end, all agreed that good design is essential for good cities, but it remains to be seen if this is a consequence of so-called design literacy, whatever it may be. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.urban-graphic-object.org/event/thomas-abbot-davies/ |
| Description | Workshop at Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | 23 people attended a workshop called "Exploring Madiba's Graphic Heritage" at Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg. This stimulated discussion between archival practitioners, digital designers, legal advisors, heritage practitioners, photo-documentary makers, and planning researchers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.urban-graphic-object.org/project/memorialising-mandela-in-the-metropolis/ |