e-Leo exhibit Launch


An interactive gallery showcase of OCAD U student, alumni and faculty work alongside some of the world's top designer

 
DateFriday, November 29, 2013 - 11:00pm

Location

OCAD University 49 McCaul St. Toronto, Ontario

Main doors (and door to 4905) Open to the Public between 5:30PM to 9:00PM

An interactive gallery showcase of OCAD U student, alumni and faculty work alongside some of the world's top designers

Public opening with gala launch evening featuring tours of the exhibit, a chance to meet the creatives and special guests.

OCAD University's, e-Leo exhibit is an interactive gallery showcase of student, alumni and faculty work alongside some of the world's top designers. OCAD University’s influential and world class Digital Futures undergraduate program combines art, design, technology and enterprise along with core skills. Graduates have a multidisciplinary toolkit to work from that helps them innovate and sets them apart from other designers.

The e-Leo exhibit includes pieces previously exhibited in MOMA and the Smithsonian but seen for the first time in Canada in this exhibit.

Student and Faculty exhibit:
On display:
New and experimental smart products, Augmented reality games, wearable technology, digital and hybrid games, cities of the future, video and sound installations.

A collaborative project between OCAD University’s DFI program and artist Marina Abramović.

Featured works by world renowned design thinkers:
Steve Mann
Edward Gajdel
Tom Barker
Nathan Phillips
Jason Mrdeza
Maryam Nabavi

As part of Project e-Leo the exhibit includes a modern-day recreation of Leonardo da Vinci created by some of Canada’s top design thinkers.

Project e-Leo Academic Research:
Project e-Leo is an academic research study that aims to answer two questions:

• Are the best design universities in the world accepting the most talented multi-disciplinary candidates or is the application process getting in the way?

• Would truly genius multi-disciplinary candidates be accepted to design programs in the world's top universities if they didn’t fit the usual mold?

The study is based around the theory that an ever changing digital world full of social enterprises will require designers with a multi-disciplinary skill set, that a traditional design education does not address. This study is also a challenge to the theory of the ‘T-shaped Designer’ put forth by the IDEO consultancy at the turn of this century which stated that to compete designers would need a core competency (the stem of the ‘T’# and to branch out #the top of the ‘T’) into other areas to be more able to adapt and deliver useful design solutions in a world with a rapid pace of change and technological advancement.

The world's top universities have developed design programs that target this problem of creating multi-disciplinary designers, but has the recruitment process changed along with their curriculum and goals?

For the purpose of this study we determined that a truly multi-disciplinary candidate would have a mix of skills in the areas of science, technology, art and enterprise with a core competency in design. We call this an ‘X-shaped Designer’. The four points of the ‘x’ being art, science, enterprise and technology while the centre of the ‘x’ is a core design competency. We further decided to create a composite character with a portfolio comprising the talents of some of the worlds top design thinkers based on one of the greatest multi-disciplinary design thinkers of all time, Leonardo da Vinci. Hence the project name ‘e-Leo’.

In order to challenge the recruitment process of the design programs we applied to, our modern day Leonardo, like Leonardo da Vinci himself, did not have a formal education. Because the portfolio was comprised of the work of such influential and recognised design thinkers, there should have been no question of talent when applying for these programs. We incorporated Leonardo da Vinci’s own thoughts on design, as well as his own words into the application letters and statements of purpose.

The results of the study were varyingly encouraging and disappointing. Some universities clearly are doing what they say they are and looking for future design innovators, while others are held back by their own application process and protocols.

We will be releasing the exciting results of our study and revealing the design talent included in the e-Leo portfolio in an exhibit hosted by OCAD University in Toronto on November 29th running until December 5th, 2013. The exhibit will also include an academic symposium and industry conference on the subject. The symposium and industry conference are by invitation only, but the exhibit will be open to the public on select days including the launch on November 29th, 2013.

Please Contact:
Sabrina Lindo
Assistant, Digital Futures Initiative
T 416.977.6000 x4581
E slindo@ocadu.ca

Free

DateFriday, November 29, 2013 - 11:00pm

Website Location

OCAD University 49 McCaul St. Toronto, Ontario

e-Leo exhibit Launch
Friday, November 29, 2013 - 11:00pm

Main doors (and door to 4905) Open to the Public between 5:30PM to 9:00PM

An interactive gallery showcase of OCAD U student, alumni and faculty work alongside some of the world's top designers

Public opening with gala launch evening featuring tours of the exhibit, a chance to meet the creatives and special guests.

OCAD University's, e-Leo exhibit is an interactive gallery showcase of student, alumni and faculty work alongside some of the world's top designers. OCAD University’s influential and world class Digital Futures undergraduate program combines art, design, technology and enterprise along with core skills. Graduates have a multidisciplinary toolkit to work from that helps them innovate and sets them apart from other designers.

The e-Leo exhibit includes pieces previously exhibited in MOMA and the Smithsonian but seen for the first time in Canada in this exhibit.

Student and Faculty exhibit:
On display:
New and experimental smart products, Augmented reality games, wearable technology, digital and hybrid games, cities of the future, video and sound installations.

A collaborative project between OCAD University’s DFI program and artist Marina Abramović.

Featured works by world renowned design thinkers:
Steve Mann
Edward Gajdel
Tom Barker
Nathan Phillips
Jason Mrdeza
Maryam Nabavi

As part of Project e-Leo the exhibit includes a modern-day recreation of Leonardo da Vinci created by some of Canada’s top design thinkers.

Project e-Leo Academic Research:
Project e-Leo is an academic research study that aims to answer two questions:

• Are the best design universities in the world accepting the most talented multi-disciplinary candidates or is the application process getting in the way?

• Would truly genius multi-disciplinary candidates be accepted to design programs in the world's top universities if they didn’t fit the usual mold?

The study is based around the theory that an ever changing digital world full of social enterprises will require designers with a multi-disciplinary skill set, that a traditional design education does not address. This study is also a challenge to the theory of the ‘T-shaped Designer’ put forth by the IDEO consultancy at the turn of this century which stated that to compete designers would need a core competency (the stem of the ‘T’# and to branch out #the top of the ‘T’) into other areas to be more able to adapt and deliver useful design solutions in a world with a rapid pace of change and technological advancement.

The world's top universities have developed design programs that target this problem of creating multi-disciplinary designers, but has the recruitment process changed along with their curriculum and goals?

For the purpose of this study we determined that a truly multi-disciplinary candidate would have a mix of skills in the areas of science, technology, art and enterprise with a core competency in design. We call this an ‘X-shaped Designer’. The four points of the ‘x’ being art, science, enterprise and technology while the centre of the ‘x’ is a core design competency. We further decided to create a composite character with a portfolio comprising the talents of some of the worlds top design thinkers based on one of the greatest multi-disciplinary design thinkers of all time, Leonardo da Vinci. Hence the project name ‘e-Leo’.

In order to challenge the recruitment process of the design programs we applied to, our modern day Leonardo, like Leonardo da Vinci himself, did not have a formal education. Because the portfolio was comprised of the work of such influential and recognised design thinkers, there should have been no question of talent when applying for these programs. We incorporated Leonardo da Vinci’s own thoughts on design, as well as his own words into the application letters and statements of purpose.

The results of the study were varyingly encouraging and disappointing. Some universities clearly are doing what they say they are and looking for future design innovators, while others are held back by their own application process and protocols.

We will be releasing the exciting results of our study and revealing the design talent included in the e-Leo portfolio in an exhibit hosted by OCAD University in Toronto on November 29th running until December 5th, 2013. The exhibit will also include an academic symposium and industry conference on the subject. The symposium and industry conference are by invitation only, but the exhibit will be open to the public on select days including the launch on November 29th, 2013.

Please Contact:
Sabrina Lindo
Assistant, Digital Futures Initiative
T 416.977.6000 x4581
E slindo@ocadu.ca

Free

Venue & Address: 
OCAD University 49 McCaul St. Toronto, Ontario
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