the process can be driven by faculty, relating to the interests and direc
tions that somebody is working through in their own work and practice,
and we can work together to find an industry partner. And there’s also
an opportunity to work in the context of curriculum, so that larger
groups of students can work through and articulate design approaches
relating to a problem that a company has. All of the projects are very
different, so | think it always begins with a conversation.

So your projects, in terms of timelines, probably are more longitudi-
nal than vertical. Would that be fair that they are looking at months
and year time-lines as opposed to six weeks?

They could be short. It could really vary. There are a lot of things that
are possible.

In terms of thinking about the province and how its been growing
and evolving in relationship to the tech centre here and so on and the
businesses that say, in health, that are technology based diagnostic
firms, that kind of thing. So if you think about this practice based
research where do you see it being disseminated?

| think that there are a variety of outcomes that can happen in the
course of this research and it’s really specific to the exact project. In
the past there have been events and publications, exhibitions, product
re-designs, data visualizations, a variety of outputs. And | think that

in dissemination there’s a role for publication that | want to explore
further and expand a little bit. We also run a blog that has on-going

BUSINESS

updates about the projects that we are involved with. In terms of the
larger sector | think it’s kind of funny, because social and interactive
media on one hand brings to mind interactive media companies, and on
the other hand there is a social layer in almost everything. The influence
of the internet is so wide and variable that there are opportunities to
partner with a lot of companies you might not immediately think of in
the context of social/interactive media but that involve those elements.
For the most part we work with small and medium sizes that are BC
based. But beyond that it’s hard to really characterize.

So if you were looking back at the SIM centre 5 years from now, what
do you see? Emily Carr is looking towards Great Northern Way cam-
pus and so on. What do you envision? Do you see it as a hub? Or what
shape do you imagine it to be?

| like the vision of it as a hub. I’d like to increase the visibility of the
centre, and to expand its influence, and I'd like to see it become more
deeply engaged with the interests of faculty. I’d like to find a way for
those conversations to be deeper and for them to move across different
disciplines within the Emily Carr community. I’d really like to see the SIM
Centre be a place where the innovative and disruptive capabilities of the
internet are explored and expanded, because | think that’s an important
element of culture and that Emily Carr should be a part of that.

Interviewed by Deborah Shackleton

CULTURE

The SIM Centre aims to connect industry with art and design culture through
collaborations with Emily Carr faculty and students. By working together, the goals
of each sector can reach a more fulfilling and innovative solution.

SOCIABILITY

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