DTI sends Mission to US to investigate UCD

The UK's Department of Trade and Industry is sending senior members of several design and technology companies to the States to investigate UCD this month. Mission leader is Nina Wakeford of the University of Surrey, but most of her companions are drawn from industry.

Skybluepink, the research-based design company, joins BT, the BBC, the Design Council, PDD, Instrata and Orange in travelling to the US during October to investigate the future of user-centred design and current design-research methodologies within major US companies such as Intel and Microsoft.

Specifically, the mission will be visiting Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle and will be meeting major technology and design companies, universities and individual professionals to discuss the latest developments in the practice of user-centred methods and explore the potential for international commercial collaborations.

The UK companies participating are being encouraged to talk to other organisations both before and after their trip. Links are featured on the website below.

To mark the publishing of the Mission findings an evening seminar will be held at the Design Council on 8 December 2004. To receive notification of the event please email seminar@skybluepink.co.uk.

Associated Link: Global Watch on Design

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