Dott Cornwall

DOTT Cornwall

Since the beginning of the 00’s a new understanding has arisen of how design can be central to change processes outside the world of design, for example in the delivery of public services. This concept of “Transformation Design” is well explained by the Design Council. The Design Council is also the initiator of the DOTT Cornwall project, which aims to help Cornwall’s communities face their challenges by introducing design thinking as a driver for the change process.

Designs of the Time (DOTT) projects look at the things “that really matter” for people and have breathed new life into deprived areas. Projects include improving public transport options, working towards co-designing a low carbon economy and helping to put Cornish produce in the local and global spotlight. An example is the “Serious Play” project which involved children in designing a playground that feeds energy into the electricity grid.

The DOTT design process uses the following stages; diagnosis, co-discovery; co-design; co-develop; co-deliver and legacy. These methods are exemplary of design processes for products, cities and buildings. Traditional design skills, such as visualisation, proto-typing and testing are used in the design phase.

What is crucial is that this design approach, by transferring design skills, enables local people to develop their own visions and scenarios. Its most valuable legacy will be, in the words of DOTT Cornwall, that people develop new ideas, acquire skills and deliver bold and visionary projects.