Adream Blair is an Associate Professor of Art and Design at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she develops cross-disciplinary design research initiatives and curricula for the Design and Visual Communication department. She teaches participatory research methodologies and principles of universal design in a cross-disciplinary classroom. Most recently, Adream has focused on bringing new and emerging technologies to the classroom to solve complex problems.

Designers (and future designers) face increasingly complex and global challenges in the workplace. While a high value is placed on innovation and collaborative, the preparation students receive in the classroom does not always provide them with the intellectual framework, the range of skills, the hands-on experiences or the leadership opportunities they will need to function as creative thinkers and versatile problem solvers in a global collaborative work environment. Participatory research plays an important role in the design classroom as an iterative process that balances collaborative enquiry and problem solving, critical reflection and self-evaluation. Herein lies the underlying theme of this talk: examples and ideas from using participatory and interdisciplinary research and teaching and learning spaces that empower the student.