Design Context Workshops

This morning we did a useful exercise to help us gather areas of research for our context books. I've not had chance to think about mine recently what with everything else, so it was good to be forced into it really. I've got a good idea of the things I want to achieve this year but I'm forgetting to write things down and make notes, generally a bit unorganised, but I'm just concentrating on getting my dissertation done and over forever so I can spend the rest of my time focusing on design stuff, and catching up with everyone else.

Anyway, We were asked to write down 5 subjects, apply a statement as to why we were interested to each one... and then pose 5 questions that could lead to interesting research next to each of the 5 subjects!
Simple? Yeah?

We all went round after this and wrote on everyone elses sheets - questions that might help them in their quest for research...

I noticed that most peoples subjects (including my own) were divided into two catagories... they were either

• Design processes or skills that they were hoping to find an application for.

or

• A specific area of interest outside their design practice (ie. skateboards) that needed to be paired with a range of design skills.

Might be an interesting way to catagorise the final context book?
Anyway, this is what I cam up with, and everyones responses...