PATTERNING DIALOGUES

HOW STRUCTURED ITERATION SUPPORTS CHANGE

DESIGN RESEARCHERS AT
POWERTECH LABS

Sarah Bailey
Kevan D’Agostino
James Hallam
Cléa Lautrey
Amanda Leppi
Nayeli Santos

ADDITIONAL FACULTY
ecoTANK core studio 2013:
Heéléne Day Fraser and Sarah Hay

FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council of Canada

by LOUISE ST. PIERRE & MARI NURMINEN

A good conversation can change everything. As this three-year partnership between Powertech
Labs and Emily Carr University of Art + Design demonstrates, good conversation can seed insights
and change trajectories. In our case, iterative dialogue clarified business strategy, identified new
markets, and deepened understanding about the technical and social systems surrounding the
use of energy in British Columbia. It also helped us realize how important it is to connect with
local communities when implementing sustainable change.

At the onset of the relationship, there were many unknowns. Powertech Labs, an engineering and
testing company for the energy industry, had no prior exposure to design. Industrial designers at
Emily Carr had little experience testing design methods for sustainability. Working together, we
developed a structured dialogue that allowed for experimentation, reflection, and regular revision
to our approaches.

There were three distinct phases over the three years. Each phase featured design research con-
ducted during the summer term that provided a foundation for students who were working to
develop ideas and concepts in the sustainable design studio course that was scheduled to follow
(ecoTANK). The regular pacing of the phases allowed time for the learning on both sides to guide
the relationship (Figure 1).

SUSTAINABILITY

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