Gerard Fox

Background

About Gerard Fox

Educator — As a design educator and researcher, I aim to create teaching frameworks and curricula that foreground interdisciplinary design as a pragmatic and purposeful discipline. This practice is underpinned by pedagogical writing in conjunction with practical research. Leadership — Co-Programme Chair and programme author of BA [Hons] Visual Communication Design in IADT, Dublin; 2013–2021. Researcher — I am also investigating strategies that can build creative problem-solving capacity in a broad demographic of citizens. ie. Problem-solving frameworks that can be used by all citizens to address the interconnected complexity of our everyday world. Of particular interest is the application of systems, service, and strategy design to the contexts of participatory co-creation, open-source citizen platforms and the potential role they can play in emergent models of deliberate democracy. How can we build agile feedback and deliberation mechanisms such as citizen forums, platforms and networks that allow governments rapidly engage with informed citizens and prioritise the common interest over the dominant hierarchies of privilege? Can creative problem-solving tools be used to empower civic participants to accelerate the positive transformation of complex systems. The same complex systems which exacerbate social inequality and ecological emergency. Teaching — As a lecturer, I guide learners to critically investigate problems and speculate potential design solutions. Learners are encouraged to devise and demonstrate design strategies that enhance audience engagement, understanding, participation, or action. The goal is to engage users across appropriate socio-economic, cultural, and environmental contexts as determined by the problem. To do this, learners apply design across a blended spectrum of material, structural and digital ecosystems. Learners are challenged to balance analysis with intuition, integrating robust research and development frameworks with curiosity and invention to integrate the thinking and making of studio practice. Complementary Activities — Independent Strategic Design Consultancy practice. Principal Investigator for Erasmus+ research project 'Digital Mythologies' with Aalto University. Involved in national advocacy initiatives to develop 'creative problem solving' and 'design thinking' as core competencies in education.