Related Links
Organisers
- Richard Banks, Microsoft Research Cambridge
- Tim Regan, Microsoft Research Cambridge
- Scarlet Schwiderski-Grosche, Microsoft Research Connections
- Stewart Tansley, Microsoft Research Connections
Bear helmet prototype built using Microsoft .NET Gadgeteer. Designed by Christina Xu (opens in new tab).
During the last 20 years Microsoft Research has grown to be one of the largest and most respected corporate research facilities in the world. We have a full time staff of over 1000 scientists and researchers, spread worldwide, and a strong relationship with academia. We partner with universities, fund PhD students, hire interns and even co-create centres of excellence with academic institutions, like the Microsoft Research-INRIA Joint Centre.
Much of our focus during this time has been on computer science and technology. We would like to understand better how to extend our capabilities and relationships to better include design thinking, and to engage in a more mutually productive way with the academic design community. We have already created connections with many design schools through, for example, our annual Design Expo event associated with Faculty Summit, and we would like to develop such connections further.
To help with this effort, we have extended our annual Faculty Summit this year to include a third day event focused on design. For this, we are inviting leading experts for a day of talks and discussions. During this day we would like attendees to help build a better understanding across a number of areas including:
- The differences between design research and computer science research.
- The role that technology plays in design research, as a tool for expression, a tool for sketching, and as a source of inspiration.
- Existing ways in which design academia engages with industry.