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Nigel Ordish MDesRCA FRSA
Nigel works mainly on practical research and development projects, often involving his specialist disciplines of product design and music composition. He has designed for a wide range of international clients, from UNICEF to IBM, and written and performed music for television, radio and theatre. He has extensive experience in higher education from being appointed Research Fellow at the Royal College of Art to being Head of School of 3D Design at Kingston University, and through continuing work as a Visiting Professor and External Examiner.
Nigel's previous work in practice as a product design consultant includes work with Moggridge Design Associates (now IDEO, in London and San Francisco) designing digital and medical products; computer hardware, and energy metering equipment. This built on his pioneering work to develop a resource information centre for the home for which he was awarded the Pye/Philips Design Award (and featured in exhibitions by ICSID in Brazil and Design Council, London).
Nigel has extensive experience of working in higher
education which includes being appointed as Research Fellow to the Royal College
of Art (1985-87) innovating conceptual design tools with SDRC solid modelling
software for NCR (UK, USA and France) and IBM (UK and Germany), and co-founding
the RCA's unique MDes Computer Related Design course.
He was appointed as Principal Lecturer of Product Design at Ravensbourne College
of Design (1988-93), then as Head of the School of 3D Design at Kingston University
(1993-2002) where he led degree programmes in Product, Furniture and Interior
Design, and Production Design for Film and Television.
In 1999 he began Kingston University’s collaboration with a unique training organisation (WIFI) in Austria, enabling higher design degrees to be offered at a New Design Centre in St Pölten near Vienna. Due to the centre's success it was awarded independent university status (2005), and is now known as the New Design University where Nigel is a Visiting Professor.
For many years his research interests have focussed on design for sustainability issues, and links to the creative process and emerging new technologies. In 1994 he established and led a sustainable design research team at Kingston University, directing research into natural, synthetic and recycled materials for design. He achieved a Design Council Innovation Award (2000) to develop a virtual library of environmentally innovative materials for design education and practice: www.rematerialise.org. Nigel is currently External Examiner for the Design for Sustainability degree course at University College, Falmouth.
Parallel research into new technology and sustainable low-batch production generated further industrial support, and informed a partnered EU submission (2001) with universities across Europe. In 2002 he led a creative research initiative with Corus UK, collaborating on the development of an international design competition to promote the innovative use of steel. Recent research projects examine areas of innovative practice in design and production which can develop the future viability of traditional small and medium enterprises in Europe.
Nigel has also worked on a wide range of interdisciplinary
projects in professional music composition and performance. Between 1981-85
he was a partner in The Joeys, writing and performing political comedy and music
for television, radio and theatre, including the creation of long-running, touring
stage shows across the UK and mainland Europe. Nigel continues to work as a composer
and digital music consultant within Shared Practice.
In 2006, NIgel's unique range of professional experience
in design and music led him to be appointed jury Chair for an international competition
to design a grand piano for Bösendorfer, Austria. A special exhibition of
the winning entries took place at at the Design Forum, Museum Quarter, Vienna.
Diane Warburton • Nigel Ordish
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