Design Outsider co-founders Callum O’Connor and Josh Speedie have been inputting architecture and urban design terms and precedents into Midjourney bots. The results highlight some potential challenges and opportunities for built environment professionals and beyond. The rendering output by the Midjourney Image Generator reflects the changing relationship between designers and Artificial Intelligence. As designers, they put Midjourney to the test with surprising results. In this article the duo discuss the basics of Midjourney, share their initial thoughts, what they found, and finish with a top ten list of recommendations when using Midjourney to produce your own visualisations.
Many of the pressing challenges facing the world today are interconnected in nature and require a new awareness from designers and an appreciation of the critical role of 'design outsiders'. How do designers navigate this complexity?
Opportunities for children to participate in decisions that affect their lives has been largely overlooked by prevailing adult planning priorities and agendas in cities. As young children are active social actors, experts in their own lives and capable communicators their views provide a unique and needed perspective on urban life.
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June 28, 2021
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Design Outsider co-founders Callum O’Connor and Josh Speedie have been inputting architecture and urban design terms and precedents into Midjourney bots. The results highlight some potential challenges and opportunities for built environment professionals and beyond. The rendering output by the Midjourney Image Generator reflects the changing relationship between designers and Artificial Intelligence. As designers, they put Midjourney to the test with surprising results. In this article the duo discuss the basics of Midjourney, share their initial thoughts, what they found, and finish with a top ten list of recommendations when using Midjourney to produce your own visualisations.
The recent COP26 theme of youth and public empowerment reflects a growing belief that children and youth are here-and-now citizens capable of communicating their thoughts and ideas. Children want to be heard and make a positive contribution to their communities. Children’s perspectives and opportunities for them to express their ideas about their local environments is an important contributor to building resilient cities in the midst of our Climate Crisis. Around the world, however, opportunities for children to participate in decisions that affect their lives have been largely overlooked by prevailing adult planning priorities and agendas in cities.
Our ‘Creative Commons’ prototype is an online platform that works in tandem with a supportive local planning system. At its core, the 'Creative Commons' is a platform for collaboration and planning, a digital playground to explore ideas, proposals, organizing events and promoting members of the creative community. Working together within an integrated planning strategy, the ‘Creative Commons’ enables and incentivises creatives to contribute to the community.
In this article we explore examples that enable creativity, empower 'collaborators', and envision new possibilities. We engage with the power of asking 'what if' to share inspiring examples of innovative constructions that allow for individual creativity, encourage positive social interaction, and foster a stronger sense of community.
In part four of our ongoing series on creativity and innovation in cities, we explore key ideas from ‘Making Massive Small Change’, the application of the book's principles with examples from around the world, and next steps for the movement.
Is there a way to better understand what elements contribute to a 'creative city'? In this article we highlight the United Nations Creative Cities Network and the Creative Cities Index developed by Charles Landry and Jonathan Hyams.
Innovation and creativity are key to designing agile and resilient cities that can avoid or at least mitigate potential crises or catastrophes. A creative innovative city inspires a diverse and resilient community of creatives that delivers a progressive and comprehensive strategy for the future based on research, reflection and critical assessment.
Creativity needs to be cultivated throughout society in order to build creative cities that are inclusive of not only a ‘creative class’ but all citizens. We can strive for creative cities, but we also need creative approaches by creative professionals enabled by creative leadership.
It’s time to think differently about how generations interact, ways in which they can build relationships and if desired address local challenges. With accelerated change around the world amplified by the pandemic experience, how can we expand opportunities for elders and young children to participate together in public life?
A few years ago, former educator and co-founder of Design Outsider, Joshua Speedie investigated factors that limited Ontario Grade One teachers from utilizing play activities in their classroom. In light of his career pivot from educator to designer, Joshua reflects back on the research findings of his study, and identifies useful frameworks and resources for those aiming to enhance playful learning in our cities, towns and communities.
Many of the pressing challenges facing the world today are interconnected in nature and require a new awareness from designers and an appreciation of the critical role of 'design outsiders'. How do designers navigate this complexity?
Opportunities for children to participate in decisions that affect their lives has been largely overlooked by prevailing adult planning priorities and agendas in cities. As young children are active social actors, experts in their own lives and capable communicators their views provide a unique and needed perspective on urban life.
Why are so many designers failing to meet the needs of people? This is the question we asked when reflecting on our collective interdisciplinary professional and educational experiences ranging from architecture, planning, urban design to education.
This week’s design outsider was Emily, a school teacher with a background in traditional and non-traditional educational environments. She was invited as a guest as the design challenge was to create a unique piece of play furniture.
While the Covid-19 pandemic has made certain participatory methods more difficult, the opportunities for online participation continues to develop with new technology. As Design Outsider aims to build an online community through the affiliated youtube channel, we consider what benefits and challenges such an approach can be for collaborators to share their thoughts and ideas.
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