VIRTUAL Prague Research & Teaching Conference

Abstract

This paper centres around the Tools for Everyday Life project – a collaborative initiative embedded within the 3D-Design community of practice at Northumbria University’s School of Design. The project connects teaching staff of the BA (Hons) Furniture & Product Design course, postgraduate Designers in Residence, and alumni who are now industry professionals. Each year, the project establishes a design brief that encourages participants to respond to a shared theme, with each designer producing a prototype or artefact and sharing their process along the way, culminating in an exhibition. The project champions collaboration from within the discipline, bringing together varying levels of experience, expertise, and perspectives. The research explores the potential of extending the project to include undergraduate students of the Furniture and Product course. By doing so, it seeks to uncover both the opportunities and challenges inherent in integrating less experienced voices into the existing community of practice. It considers how undergraduate approaches can enrich the design process, author our existing activities, and investigate the dynamics that emerge from working across different levels of expertise from both perspectives. The work draws on Mikhail Bakhtin’s theories of dialogism as a theoretical framework for discussion, particularly the notion of carnival, that temporarily suspends traditional hierarchies to foster a more equitable exchange of ideas. It uses this framework to explore methods to create more inclusive learning experiences and environments. The paper follows the project’s activities as it prepares for the Proof-of-Concept design exhibition at 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen, 2025.