Hi Nick, thanks for the warm welcome

First some context. For the past fourteen years I have been researching and teaching in the Product Design Department at The Glasgow School of Art. For the past seven years I have been a Visiting Professor at HDK, Design School, Göteborg, Sweden.

 My current research and design activities concern the understanding of the changing nature of society, ecology and economy and how design and design education may be transformed to act and support how we may live with greater empathy, respect and humility in a world that is in a period of significant change. A specific focus within this is the development of the “Citizen Designer” capable of working within social enterprise and community regeneration. A broad ambition being to cultivate creative practice able to support existing and emerging social enterprises and communities and also the strategic future development of the profession. I am an academic by necessity and a pragmatist by nature.

I work a lot in active design projects with students, here is a selection:

• Together with Masters students in Design Innovation won The Audi Design Foundation competition, Sustain our Nation, for the design of a social enterprise, the project now being in the implementation phase in Wyndford, Glasgow. It is expected that this new model of design innovation has significant potential for growth and adaption in designing for resilience in a convivial society, has special value in designing for transformation in our changing society and opens up new roles for the designer as citizen. See - www. getgoglasgow.co.uk

• Choreography of Care for the Elderly. This seven week long student project involved working collaboratively with practitioners from across the health, public, voluntary and private sector agencies, as well as older people and their carers from the Southside of Glasgow. The project’s objective was to gain a holistic understanding of what it may mean to live a good older life and to suggest meaningful services and experiences devolved into the community through four key themes; anticipatory care, reablement, partnership working and communication and social isolation. See: http://www.iriss.org.uk/project/future-choreography-care-older-people

• You, Me, Us and Them. A six week project embedding design students in 6 Glasgow social enterprises to explore the nature of social enterprises and co-create design activities to help develop some aspect to the benefit of the host organisation.  The enterprises involved were: Glasgow Wood Recycling, Spruce Carpets, Shelter, Oxfam, Unity and the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice.

From October to November I am running this project again and have 3 enterprises signed up already - The Galgael Trust, The Bike Shed and the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice. The Social Enterprise Academy is helping also.

In the Glasgow School of Art we are starting a Masters Degree in Design and Citizenship

If anyone finds this interesting please contact me as there is much more to tell

Thanks for your comments, we are a bit isolated here so it is good to see what everyone is doing. The airport has already had an impact with some people returning to the island from Ascension, Falklands and the UK, shortages of rented accomodation and food (particularly fruit and vegetables but most of the shelves are empty now even when the ship does arrive so although no-one is starving it is difficult, expensive and time consuming to get things. Lots of talk about increasing agricultural production but nothing tangible yet. On the back of the airport opening we are also looking at a big hotel development with a golf course and all the usual things(up to 400 people staying) on an island with a population of under 4000. - massive changes and all the emphasis on economic development and virtually no support for social and cultural development  (only me and I have no budget to work with at all).

Interesting times ahead!

In answer to your question there is one social enterprise, SHAPE, which was set up following support from COPE in the Shetlands.

Hi Nick,

Thank you for your message.  I am enthusiastic about sharing ideas and experiences and also in expanding the community.

Best wishes,

Mark

Thanks for your comment Nick - project has been a bit slow in getting going but in the next few months I am hoping that we can make real progress. Happy to share as things unfold 

Best wishes