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Yanki Lee

Info

  • Yanki Lee

  • Area

    The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design

    Role

    Visiting Research Fellow

  • Yanki joined the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design in 2000 as a Research Associate, studying the future of live-work buildings in collaboration with the Peabody Trust. With an MA in Architecture from the Royal College of Art and a PhD in design participation from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Yanki focuses on design methodology for participation and social innovation. She was co-investigator of the i~design project and the EPSRC funded Public Engagement Project, 'Design Our Tomorrow (DOT)' which introduced inclusive design methodology to UK secondary school Design & Technology curriculum and holder of the UK's BIS UK - China Fellowship of Excellence 2011.Yanki was awarded an RCA Fellowship in 2012.

  • Biography

  • Dr Yanki Lee is a designer with international design experience and graduated with an MA in Architecture from the Royal College of Art. In 2003, she was awarded a research studentship for her doctoral research in which she built up her expertise in design participation and was awarded a PhD in design from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her thesis, entitled, 'Design Participation Tactics; involving people in the design of their built environment' explored a range of methodologies to design participation.

    Following her doctoral research in researching social implications of design and social roles for designers, Yanki has continued her interest on developing action research projects to investigate community and cultural aspects to social issues such as ageing and disability. She has worked in China on elderly housing and in Hong Kong on participatory design research in social housing. In Summer 2009, Yanki was invited by the Hong Kong Design Centre to be programme director for the 'Discover Design' workshop for 120 teenagers to explore social inclusion and creativity through design.

    Yanki curated Constant Stream, a travelling exhibition in response to an invitation to the RCA to participate in the China Now festival (Feb - Aug 2008) of cultural events in the UK marking the run-up to Beijing Olympics in Summer 2008. Yanki used the opportunity to stimulate a dialogue not just between China and other cultures but also between creative disciplines. After its success in London in May 2008, with funding from the RCA and external sponsors including the British Council, the exhibition travelled to cities including Hasselt (Belgium) and Hong Kong. The final destination of the discussion provoked from the exhibition concluded at the Today Art Museum in Beijing in August 2009.

    Yanki was the co-investigator of the i~design 3 project which was funded by the EPSRC. This four-year research project (2006-2010) sought to deliver tools that enable designers to design products, systems, services and environment that can be used effectively by the whole population, including those who are older or disabled. Lee's primary role is to develop and extend active learning through more effective inclusive design. She initiated a new web tool: www.designingwithpeople.org that aims to help designers in all disciplines to design more successfully with people.

    Yanki led the centre's education programme which involved organising the annual Helen Hamlyn Design Awards and conducting the Methods Labs at the RCA which is a creative design workshop for the RCA design community and external educational partners to explore new methods to design inclusively and collectively. She was also a judge for the RSA Inclusive Worlds student awards and the D&AD environmental design award. She recently became a member of the Higher EducationAcademy where she investigates pedagogy theories for inclusive design practice.

    Yanki also focuses on exploring tactics for public engagement in design and creative practice. For example, in 2007, Yanki worked with Paula Dib, Brazilian winner of British Council's International Young Design Entrepreneur of the Year (IYDEY) award 2006, working with teenagers at Villiers High School in Southall, London to redesign their school. This experience led the success of a new research project, 'Designing Our Tomorrow (DOT)', collaboration with Engineering Design Centre, Cambridge and Design School, Loughborough University to extend the inclusive design methodology to Design & Technology teaching in secondary school in the UK. It was a public engagement project funded by EPSRC.

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  • External collaborations

  • Director: Founder, EXHIBIT Community Interest Company and Super Estates Foundation, since 2005

    Conference Chair: 12th biennial Participatory Design Conference (PDC) Roskilde, Denmark, 12-15 Aug, 2012

    Reviewer:

    •  International Association of Societies of Design Research (IASDR), Delft Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, 4th World Conference on Design Research - IASDR2011 31 Oct - 4 Nov 2011
    • Young and Old session, Shanghai Cumulus Conference, Tongji University College of Design and Innovation Shanghai 7-10 Sept 2010
    •  Design Research Society international conference, Design & Complexity, Montreal, Canada 7-9 July 2010

    Committee member:

    • Universal Design (UD2012) Conference, Oslo, Norway, May 2012
    • Participatory Design Conference 2008, Indiana University Bloomington USA Oct 2008
    • Participatory Design Conference 2010, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia, Nov 2010

    Workshop leader:

    • Ageing in Lillestrøm, May 2012, Oslo, Norway as part of the UD2012 conference programme
    • MaD Googs Lab, Hong Kong, May-July 2011
    • RSA's Design & Rehabilitation workshop, a three-day design workshop for people with spinal-cord injuries, 2-4 Nov 2010
    • Investigating our future selves family day, Serpentine Gallery, London, 6 Feb 2010

    Adviser:

    • Inclusive Design Facilitation, Heartlands, Cornwell, UK 2009
    • Urban Idea Bakery adviser: British Council, London, March 2010

    Royal College of Art:

    • RCA Fellow, 2012
    • International Development Group Ambassador 2011
    • Curator for Constant Stream: China travelling exhibitions 2008-2009
    • Research supervisor: PhD, Carmen Hijosa, Fashion and Textiles Research

    External examiner: Mphil, Engineering Design Centre, Cambridge University

    Visiting scholar:

    • Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China ,2011
    • Hong Kong Design Institute, Hong Kong, China, 2010-2012
    • Kyushu University, User Science Institute, Japan, 2008
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  • Publications, exhibitions and other outcomes

  • Research reports
    Lee,Y. (2012) 'The Ingenuity of Ageing: for designing social innovation' supported by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) HHCD, Royal College of Art, London UK, ISBN978-1-907342-46-2. Available to order lulu.com

    Book chapters
    Lee Y. (2011) 'Where (does it happen and in what contexts)?' in Design Act - Socially and Politically Engaged Design Today. Critical Roles and Emerging Tactics, Sternberg Press, Germany

    Myerson, J. & Lee, Y. (2010) 'Inclusive Design Research Initiatives at the Royal College of Art' Chapter in Universal Design Handbook (2nd Edition), McGraw-Hill Professional, USA

    Lee, Y. (2007) 'Facilitating Knowledge Exchanges through Inclusive Design' Chapter in (Un)common Ground: Creative Encounters across sectors and disciplines, Bis Publishers, Amsterdam

    Peer-reviewed journals
    Ho, D K L. & Lee, Y. C. (2012) 'The Quality of Design Participation: Intersubjectivity in design practice', International Journal of Design (online), 6(1), Xy-Yy

    Denny Kwok-leung Ho, Jin Ma & Yanki Lee (2011) 'Empathy @ design research: a phenomenological study on young people experiencing participatory design for social inclusion', CoDesign,Vol 7, No 2, Sept, 95-106

    Lee, Y. (2008) 'Design participation tactics: the challenges and new roles for designers in the co-design process' CoDesign Vol 4, No 1, March, 31-50

    Conference proceedings (selected)
    Lee, Y. & Ho, D K L. et al. (2011) 'Design.Lives Labs: introducing solution-focused methodology to design and civic education', in proceedings of the DesignED Asia 2011, 29-30 Nov, Hong Kong, China

    Lee, Y. & Ho, D K L. et al. (2011) 'Design.Lives Lab: a case to introduce solution-focused design methodology for participatory design for social inclusion', in proceedings of IASDR, the 4th World Conference on Design Research, 31 Oct - 4 Nov, Delft, The Netherlands

    Ho, D K L. & Lee, Y. (2011) 'From inclusivity to social innovation for all: the case of Methods Labs ', in proceedings of Include 2011, 18-20 April. Royal College of Art, London, UK

    Lee, Y. & Ho, DKL. (2010) 'Teaching the teachers: Co-designing new inclusive design experience to enable secondary school students to think creatively' Paper published in Participatory Design Conference 2010 University of Technology, Sydney, Australia 29 Nov - 3 Dec 2010

    Ho, DKL., Ma J., Chuah, PCK. & Lee Y. (2010) 'Bringing in Communicative Rationality into Design Participation: A Lesson from Inclusive Design' Paper published in Participatory Design Conference 2010 University of Technology, Sydney, Australia 29 Nov - 3 Dec 2010

    Lee, Y .& Ho, DKL. (2010) 'Including people in design processes, good but how? Engaging with Inclusive Design Methodology through a digital platform' Paper published in the 7th international Conference on Design and Emotion Chicago 4-7 Oct

    Lee, Y. & Ho, DKL. (2010) 'Designing with People: Developing a digital platform for knowledge transfer and exchange of inclusive design methodology' Paper published in Shanghai Cumulus Conference, Tongji University College of Design and Innovation Shanghai 7-10 Sept

    Lee, Y. & Ho, DKL. (2010) 'www.designingwithpeople.org: enabling designers to cross borders for social inclusion' Paper published in Cumulus Genk Conference, the Media and Design Academy of Katholieke Hogeschool Limburg Belgium 26-30 May

    Ho, DKL., Lee, Y. & Tsang ASY. (2010) 'Reflection on the Experience of Conducting Inclusive Design Workshop for Teenagers' Paper published in the 5th Cambridge Workshop on Universal Access & Assistant Technology (CWUAAT), Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge 22-25 March

    Lee, Y. (2010) 'Development of the social implications of inclusive design and some thoughts on the next steps' Paper published in the 5th Cambridge Workshop on Universal Access & Assistant Technology (CWUAAT), Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge 22-25 March

    Gheerawo, R. & Lee, Y. (2009) 'Enabling People - Creating Inclusive Human-Computer Interactions' Paper published in Human Computer Interaction International (HCI) Conference Proceedings San Diego July

    Lee, Y., Myerson, J., Bichard, J. & Harrison, M. (2009) 'www.designingwithpeople.org: A new web-based resource for implementing design for social inclusion' Paper published in International Association of Societies of Design Research (IASDR) Seoul 18-22 Oct

    Lee Y & Cassim J. (2009) 'How the Inclusive Design Process Enables Social Inclusion' Paper published in International Association of Societies of Design Research (IASDR) Seoul 18-22 Oct

    Ho D., Lee Y. & Cassim, J. (2009) 'What if...users do not know how to be inclusive through design' Paper published in Include 2009 London 5-8 March

    Raijmakers, B., van Dijk G., Lee, Y. & Williams, S. (2009) 'Designing Empathic Conversations for Inclusive Design Facilitation' Paper published in Include 2009, RCA, London

    Lee, Y. & Bichard, J. (2008) 'Teen-scape':Designing Participations for the Design Excluded' Paper published in Participatory Design Conference 2008 Indiana University Bloomington USA 1-4 October p128-137

    Lee, Y., Takeoka, A., Fukuyoshi, S. & Sameshima, S. (2008) 'Design Your Home Pack' Co-designing Tools to Design Homes and Houses' Paper published in Participatory Design Conference 2008 Indiana University Bloomington USA 1-4 October p278-281

    Lee, Y., Bichard, J. & Coleman, R. (2008) 'Designing with users, how? Investigate users involvement tactics for effective inclusive design processes' Paper published in International DMI Education Conference Cergy-Pointoise France 14-15 April

    Lee, Y. (2007) 'Children-Computer Interaction: An Inclusive Design Process for the Design of Our Future Playground' Paper published in Human Computer Interaction International (HCII) Beijing July

    Lee, Y. (2007) 'Emancipating art and design students through an inclusive design awards programme' Paper published in Include 2007 London March

    Lee, Y. (2006) 'Design Participation Tactics: Redefining User Participation in Design' Abstract published in Design Research Society Wonderground Conference Lisbon

    Lee, Y. & Bichard, J. (2006) 'From inclusive user research processes to universal design outputs: the cases of an inclusive design education programme' Abstract published in IAUD, 2nd International Conference on Universal Design Kyoto

    Articles
    Lee, Y. (2007) 'Beyond ageing and disability: The case of inclusive residential design' Article published in Planning in London: the Journal of the London Planning & development forum, issue 60, 44-46, Land Research Unit, London
    Keynote Presentations

    Lee, Y (2012) 'Ageing in place(s): Cases to introduce solution-focused design methodology for ageing innovation' at the Codesign-cluster at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (KADK), School of Design, Copenhagen, Denmark, 17 August

    Lee, Y (2012) 'The Ingenuity of Ageing', Sino-Baltic symposium 'Moon above the Roofs', Riga, Latvia, 31 May

    Lee, Y (2012) 'The Ingenuity of Ageing', DESIS Showcase, Helsinki, Finland, 26 May

    Lee, Y (2012) 'The Ingenuity of Ageing', SOAS Symposium: Questions of Method, Between Art and Design, London, UK, 3 March

    Lee, Y. (2011): 'Living a designerly life' Public speech given at MaD forum, Hong Kong, 21-23 Jan

    Lee, Y. (2011) 'Design.Lives: Design Participation for Social Inclusion', Visiting Scholar, Hong Kong Design Institute, Jan

    Lee, Y (2011) 'Design is more than stuff', the Pecha Kucha Night (PKN) organised by the Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design, Jan

    Lee, Y. (2010) 'Designing with People: Developing a digital platform for knowledge transfer and exchange of inclusive design methodology' Lecture for the second LUCID symposium, organised by the LUCID network (AHRC -funded network hosted t the University of Reading), held at the Royal College of Art, London, 28 Sept

    Lee, Y. (2010) 'Designing with people', Centre for HCI Design, City University, London, Feb

    Lee, Y. (2009) 'Designing with people: exploring ways to involve people in design processes. Drawing on I~design research projects and testing a new developed design webtool - www.designingwithpeople.com. EPSRC KT-Equal Master Class: Research for older people and those with a disability, Chancellor's Hotel, Manchester Nov

    Lee, Y. (2009) 'www.designingwithpeople.org: A new web-based resource for implementing design for social inclusion', International Association of Societies of Design Research (IASDR) Seoul, Korea, Oct

    Lee, Y. (2009) 'How the Inclusive Design Process Enables Social Inclusion' Paper published in International Association of Societies of Design Research (IASDR) Seoul, Korea, Oct

    Lee, Y. (2009) 'Design Participation Tactics for inclusive built environment', Department of Architecture, Cambridge University, Sept

    Lee, Y. (2009): 'Designing with people: exploring ways to involve people in design processes. Drawing on I~design research projects and testing a new developed design webtool - www.designingwithpeople.com Lecture given at EPSRC KT-Equal Master Class: Research for older people and those with a disability, Chancellor's Hotel, Manchester 30 Nov -1 Dec

    Lee, Y. (2009): 'Design for an inclusive world' Lecture given at DESIGN ACT seminar, Iaspis, Konstnärsnämnden, Maria skolgata 83, Stockholm, 26 May

    Lee, Y. (2008) 'From Design for to with people', Design Your Home Project, Visiting Scholar, Kyushu University, User Science Institute, Japan, Feb

    Lee, Y. (2007) 'Design Participation Tactics: involving people in the design of their built environment, products and services', Danish Building Research Institute (SBi), June

    Lee,Y. (2007) 'Design For Our Future Selves: Designing inclusively for a diverse and ageing society', Media, Art & Design Facility, Genk, Belgium, April

    Lee, Y (2006) 'Beyond disability and ageing: Inclusive residential design' Design Solutions for Disability, London, November 

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