Latest news from º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ
30 Apr 2014
Academic’s mobile app for designers attracts world-wide interest
A mobile app designed by a º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ academic has earned international recognition for its contribution to new product development.
The app, which is changing the way designers speak to each other, was created by Dr Mark Evans and developed by Leicester-based creative agency Rock Kitchen Harris.
Called iD Cards, the app has attracted worldwide interest and has been adopted by the largest professional society for industrial designers, the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA).
Dr Evans, Reader in Industrial Design in the University’s Design School, said: “Turning the findings from the research into an app has enabled it to benefit designers all over the world, but this has only been made possible through the various collaborations that took place entirely in Leicestershire.”
Available on iPhone, iPod Touch and more than 3,000 Android devices, the app has been shortlisted for two of º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s Enterprise Awards, which celebrate the University’s knowledge exchange with businesses.
The app accompanies the original paper based iD cards, which were adopted by the IDSA, with 5,000 copies distributed to its members in the USA.
With such a high demand for the reference material, Dr Evans decided to make iD cards even more accessible through a free to download iOS and Android mobile app.
Dr Evans and his former PhD student, Dr Eujin Pei, now a lecturer at DeMonfort University, came up with the idea after discovering that confusion over the names used by designers for different types of sketch, drawing, model and prototype was leading to delays in getting products to market.
The app helps design specialists communicate with each other by standardising the language used for 32 types of sketch, drawing, model and prototype.
It also provides additional information on when these are used and what types of information, using examples of design work from Dr Evans’ student.
Kyle Bayliss, senior web developer at Rock Kitchen Harris, said: “We’re very proud of how well the app has been received and that it’s made the shortlist for an award.
“The Design School team were great to work with and we really enjoyed turning their hard work and research into a simple and engaging learning tool.”
Rock Kitchen Harris has worked with º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ since 2008, on projects including an interactive campus map and undergraduate prospectus app.
Notes for editors
Article reference number: PR 14/80
º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It was awarded the coveted Sunday Times University of the Year title in 2008-09 and has been named Sports University of the Year 2013-14 by The Times and Sunday Times. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and has been voted England's Best Student Experience for six years running in the Times Higher Education league. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
In 2015 the University will open an additional academic campus in London’s new innovation quarter. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ in London, based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, will offer postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities.
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