Design Incubation Unit
A supported space where early design ideas are tested, shaped and prepared for the next stage of development.
What the unit is for
The Design Incubation Unit gives early-stage projects time and structure. Many good ideas stall because nobody has the hours to test them properly, and the unit exists to provide those hours.
Projects enter the unit with a question rather than a finished product. Over several months the question is narrowed, tested and either developed further or set aside with clear reasons.
An early physical model, built to find out how the object feels in the hand before any drawing is final.
What the unit offers
Incubation support is practical and bounded. Each project receives a defined set of resources for a defined period.
- Dedicated workspace and shared model-making equipment
- Regular critique sessions with designers from across the Centre
- Guidance on testing with real users
- Preparation of a clear record for funding or partner discussions
The shared workshop, where material samples are kept beside the models they inform.
Moving from idea to test
Each project sets its own first test. For some it is a rough prototype handed to a potential user; for others it is a comparison of materials or a short study of how the object is cleaned and stored.
Results are reported openly within the unit, including the tests that failed. A failed test that is well recorded is often more useful than a success that cannot be repeated.
A user trial in progress, with notes taken on how the prototype is picked up and set down.
Connections across the Centre
The unit works alongside the research and teaching programmes. Findings from research projects often become the starting question for an incubated project, and students from the education programme take part in critique sessions.
A critique session in which several projects are reviewed side by side.