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I produced two events at last year's Battle of Ideas festival 1 November, RCA, London:

Shaping social policy: Designers and health
Are designers better than doctors in fixing our bad health and have solutions to the failing NHS? Read the Battle in Print that introduces each of the panellists themes of the debate.

Shaping social policy: Designers and crime
Can designers design-out crime making us safer or help heighten fear of crime?

Speech: Beyond the Crisis: Debating the role of innovation

2 March, Hub Kings Cross, London

With a few others I presented a 'stump speech' on what I think are the major barriers to innovation. As reported, I said “we are in the middle of a cult of managerialism”. Companies, politics and culture in general has become fixated by KPIs, ROI and measuring everything that must be true because it is 'evidenced-based'. This is all "therapeutic: digital dashboards tempt you to keep things as they are". All of this does not add up to creativity, or is strategic and not focussed on the long-term. Instead, “Managers demand outcomes from R&D ‘before you have even put your coat on’.” I also asked "does all innovation have to be sustainable?"

Debate: A Brave New World? Are the emerging economies the new technological innovators?

2 November 2008, Battle of Ideas festival, London.

Link to the full recording on Flora.tv's website

Speakers were Norman Lewis of Wireless Grids Corporation Parminder Bahra, executive editor of Times Online; Dinah McLeod, head of sustainability practice of BT Global Services.

Creativity versus Counting

30 October, Usability Professionals Association, LBi offices, London

Much needed creativity is suffering in a climate that places importance on achieving a measurable impact on the bottom line above all else. The talk explored why this is happening and argued that innovation is more important than perpetuating the statistics.

Some said I caused disagreements whilst another thought I missunderstood the role o usability. And the UPA's Lola OyeLayo said "It was truly a fantastic event last week. It was really well received and you definitely managed to get quite a few people talking about things in a passionate way!"

World Usability Day London - Positive Experiences in Healthcare

8 November 2007, London. Organised by design agency LBi and the Usability Professionals Association

Spoke on panel entitled Openness of information and communities in Healthcare discussing ways in which the internet offers opportunities for sharing information to inform the public, and to enable experiences to be shared and learned from within the NHS. Other speakers included Sir Muir Gray (Director of Clinical Knowledge for NHS), Julie Howell (Director of Accessibility at digital design agency Fortune Cookie and Founder of Jooly’s Joint, a Multiple Sclerosis community), Pete Gale (Head of User Experience at Cogapp)

Designing behaviour

28 October 2007, Battle of Ideas festival, RCA, London

Produced and spoke on a debate on why many now argue that design has a duty to promote wellbeing, responsible behaviour, and to make people think rather than just consume. Issues include health awareness and rebuilding community to reducing consumption and global warming. Speakers were Molly Webb, business engagement manager, the Climate Change group and Professor Anthony Dunne, head of RCA's Design Interactions. The debate was chaired by Austin Williams, director of the Future Cities Project.

Design in Denial

1 October 2007, Design Museum, London (Produced & chaired event) Sell out capacity!

Why do few designers, if any, defend design for its own sake? Instead, many argue that design only has worth once it contributes toward social renewal, regeneration, the environent, sustainability and so on. But doesn't this mean that design as a result will suffer? Speakers were Martin Brown (Wolf Olins), Jonathan Barnbrook (UK's foremost political designer), Clive Grinyer (director of design Orange France Telecom), Tom Dunmore (editor of Stuff magazine) and Austin Williams (director of Future Cities Project). Part of the Battle of Ideas 2007 festival.

Online TV: Claire Fox News on Design

24 September 2007, 18 Doughty Street online Talk TV

Appeared as a guest to discuss design in Britain, including business, social engineering, green issues and innovation. The panel consisted of Angus Kennedy, IT Consultant, Nico MacDonald, Consultant and Author in the media sector and Vicky Richardson, Editor of Blueprint magazine. Hosted and presented by Claire Fox, Director of the Battle of Ideas festival.

What do you think you're doing?

21 September 2007, Design Museum, London (Part of London Design Festival)

Was asked by Jonathan Barnbrook (currently exhibting his one-man retrospective Friendly Fire at the Design Museum) to chair this debate. It examined the role of ethics in design and how designers should respond. Speakers were Jonathan Barnbrook, Adrian shaughnessy - design commentator, author of How to Be a Graphic Designer, Without Losing Your Soul and Teal Triggs - Professor of Graphic Design and Head of Research, School of Graphic Design, London College of Communication, University of the Arts London.

The confessions of a social networker

Monday 3rd September 2007, Barclays Global Investors, London

Gave a talk, as part of their Inspirational Speakers season on the opportunities and perils of online social networking. Federica Squadrilli Carr, Web Manager at BGI said my talk was 'very interesting, informative, lively and thought-provoking... you were very engaging.'

What is innovation for?

28 October 2006 Battle of Ideas 2006, London | Produced and chaired debate

If research and innovation have to be tailored to fulfil the perceived social needs of today’s world, what about tomorrow’s world? Historically, serendipity and a spirit of experimentation have revealed latent, unforeseen needs. Is there a danger that an instrumentalist tick-box approach will close down the unexpected outcomes of a more open-ended attitude to R&D? Does asking ‘what is it for?’ undermine the possibility of going further than our imaginations can presently conceive?

Putting design and technology to good use

28 October 2006 Battle of Ideas 2006, London | Produced and chaired debate

Can fashionable customer-led design thinking really solve deep-seated social problems, or are designers and technologists being given a brief they simply can’t answer?

Beyond human-centered design

4 August 2004 DIS2004, Boston USA

Spoke on panel asking 'Does user-centered design holds back innovation, expressed through a culture of social and business caution?'

BIS Seminar—Innovation and design: Why not? 

20 November 2002, Royal Holloway University of London

Human Centred Design: The limits of usability   
15 October 2002, Spoke on panel

Read a review of the debate on Usability News

What use for usability?   

20 September 2002, Conference Knowledge Economy: New hope or old hype, organised by University of East London and spiked.

Web accessibility & web usability 

5 July 2002 RNIB, London

Spoke on panel. Read a review of the debate on spiked...

Usability vs. innovation 
10 June 2002, AIGA Experience Design, Design Council, London

Debate with Steve Krug, author of Don't make me think! Read a review of the debate on Usability News

The limitations of user-centred design 

21 May 2002 UPA, London

Presentation 'in the lions den'! Read a review of the debate on Usability News and in IT week

The future of usability   

20 March 2002, British Interactive Media Association, London

Spoke on panel. Read an introduction of the debate on Usability News...

Editorial design for the Web 

July 2001, AIGA Experience design, Design Council, London

Spoke on panel