OCAD University’s Faculty of Design Winter Festival is now underway, bringing together students, faculty, alums and international partners for a celebration of design.
The festival highlights the creativity and innovation of the Faculty of Design through panel discussions and presentations and is held twice a year – winter and fall. While all programs are represented at each festival, the Winter Festival is spotlighting Environmental Design, Industrial Design and Material Art and Design, and is a great moment for faculty, students, alums, corporate and community partners to engage around design.
Faculty of Design Dean Dr. Lesley-Ann Noel points out that the recent DesignTO show highlighted several innovative projects by members of the OCAD U community, a perfect way to kick-off this year’s Winter Design Festival.
“DesignTO is an important festival that showcases how innovative design can impact people’s lives in tangible ways,” says Dr. Noel, pointing to the exhibition, Beyond Function: An OCAD U x Baycrest. This exhibition presented tangible product prototypes created by Industrial Design students for older adults living with dementia. Another example was the exhibition, Signs of Change, a physical installation that explored the future of cities and mobility through street signs.
“Our Winter Design Festival continues to serve as a platform to engage with students, alums, faculty, and corporate and community partners on many aspect of design,” says Dr. Noel. “There is such richness of expertise and creativity here at OCAD U when it comes to design.”
The festival is supported by the David Binet Design Leadership Fund.
Two events were held on January 29, including the ADLab event, Love at First Site, a hands-on advertising and design portfolio workshop with D&A New Blood Portfolio Award Winner Katelyn Tao, geared to students.
The second event was An Evening of Craft, Digitality and Critical Reflection: Artist Talks featuring a panel discussion on the themes of community, the economic dimensions of craft and digital tools.
This artist talk was organized by the Craft and Digital Turn team, in partnership with the Craft & Design Studio Residency at Harbourfront Centre and OCAD U. The discussion was moderated by Dean of the Faculty of Design Dr. Lesley-Ann Noel and was aligned with research being undertaken by Adjunct Professor Dr. Lynne Heller.
Feb. 6: In Conversation with Syd & Leo
This is a second event with ADLAB, geared to alums and current students. Alums Syd and Leo are creatives at Accenture Song who will share their experiences about breaking into the advertising industry and building impressive portfolios.
Feb. 7: Access by Design: Rethinking Accessibility in Architecture
This panel discussion is part of a forum series by BEAT (Building Equality in Architecture Toronto). This event is exploring how the meanings of accessibility and disability in architecture are changing – both in the spaces we design and within the professional itself. The session begins with a keynote from Dr. Wanda Katja Liebermann, an architectural and urban historical and associate professor of Architecture at the Christoper C. Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma.
A panel discussion will follow the keynote with panellists OCAD U Professor Dr. Jutta Treviranus, director of the Inclusive Design Research Centre; Roman Romanov, director, Accessibility Advisory Services at the Rick Hansen Foundation; and Nicole Jacobs, creative director, Interior Design, smpl Design Studio. The panel will be moderated by OCAD U Associate Professor Maya Desai, chair of the Environmental Design program.
Feb. 9: Sabbatical presentation, Intelligence of Craft: Embodiment, Materiality and Cognition
Professor Dr. Nithikul Nimkulrat is giving this sabbatical presentation from 4:15 to 5:30 p.m. in room 544 at 100 McCaul St.
Feb. 11: DesignMeets + Designing a Humane Future/Love Economy
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, DesignMeets and OCAD U are partnering to host a discussion on how design can more intentionally support the love economy, the vital yet often overlooked space within the economy where care and nurturing take place.
The panel discussion will examine this timely and significant intersection of design, care, and systems thinking – and consider how love might become a more deliberate guiding principle for the futures we shape.
The session is being moderated by Associate Professor Sarah Tranum, with panellists Rev. Bri-anne Swan, lead minister, East End United Regional Ministry; Dr. Mark Nowaczynski, clinical director, House Calls; and Ryan Donais, founder, Tiny Tiny Homes.
Feb. 11: Winter Design Talk – Solar Threads
In this February edition of Research Talks, organized by the Office of Research and Innovation, Associate Professor Ala Roushan traces her recent body of work, critically examining technologies that mediate our relation to nature and the enduring human drive to control it. The presentation centres on her collaborative film with Charles Stankievech, A Shroud Woven of Solar Threads, in which she outlines an approach that brings ancient rituals of sun worship into dialogue with contemporary proposals for solar geoengineering. The takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. at 205 Richmond St. W., room 701K.
Feb. 27: Design Research Café
Design Research Café is a monthly, informal one-hour social event organized by the Faculty of Design. This session will be online and led by Assistant Professor Dr. Leah Shenandoah, from noon to 1 p.m. It provides an open space for faculty interested in research or in bringing their creative practice into a research context to engage in conversation.
March events
March events include an AI panel discussion, portfolio and networking events by student groups, and a Professional Practice-Environmental Design Forum for alums and students.
Check the OCAD U website for more details.
FESTIVAL DESIGN
Associate Professor Michelle Astrug created the festival’s visual identity.