The largest and longest-running centre for design research at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London, the Helen Hamlyn Centre has been given a slight makeover in the form of a new name.
As of 1 March 2011 the centre will be known as the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, focusing on three key research areas: Age and Ability, Health and Patient Safety, and Work and City. The new name and operating structure of the centre also signifies the 20th anniversary of support for research at the RCA by the Helen Hamlyn Trust. It started with the funding, by the trust, of the DesignAge action research programme in 1991.
Centre director and Helen Hamlyn Chair of Design Jeremy Myerson says that by organising the centre into three research areas focuses their “expertise in design research into clear streams”. This form of organisation will also allow for more proactive partnerships with business, government, research councils and the non-profit sector.
The Work and City research lab will be led by Myerson, while Rama Gheerawo will lead Age and Ability and Ed Matthews will be in charge of Health and Patient Safety. Design anthropologist Jo-Anne Bichard will work across all three labs.
The research associates programme at the centre will continue in its current format but each research associate will now be attached to a specific research lab. The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design’s first public showing will take place from 18 to 20 April 2011, when its hosts the annual Include Conference on inclusive design at the RCA.
