“Less Really is More - Design in an Age of Degrowth”: NCAD Honorary Doctorate Lecture with Lorna Ross
On Thursday 28 November, Lorna Ross will speak to guests, students and staff of NCAD about her creative career, and address the need for design to change as we enter an age of de-growth.
Info on the NCAD Honorary Doctorate Lecture with Lorna Ross:
On Friday 29 November, the National College of Art and Design will confer our Honorary Doctorate award on Lorna Ross for her commitment to design-led innovation in healthcare. The recipient of NCAD’s second Honorary Doctorate will join 320 graduates being conferred at University College Dublin as part of the 2024 Autumn Conferring.
As part of this, on Thursday 28 November, Lorna Ross will speak to guests, students and staff of NCAD about her creative career, and address the need for design to change as we enter an age of de-growth. Lorna will be joined on stage by:
- Charlotte Barker, CEO of the Institute of Designers in Ireland
- Dr Ruth Freeman Director of Science for Society Research Ireland
- Professor Josina Vink, an Associate Professor in Service Design at AHO, Oslo with expertise in health systems transformation
- Professor Alex Milton, Head of the School of Design at NCAD.
This will take place from 5 pm at the Harry Clarke Lecture Theatre and seats will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
Lorna Ross iography:
Lorna Ross is an internationally recognised leader in the area of healthcare innovation. Her career spans 30+ years of professional experience leading strategic design activity across a range of industry sectors from healthcare to government services. Her work at The Mayo Clinic established the first and largest activity of design-led innovation in an academic medical institution and became recognised internationally as the benchmark in patient-centric healthcare transformation.
Nationally, Lorna sat on the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment’s Expert Group on Future Skills Needs and The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Design In Government; Design Our Public Services. She was a member of the expert committee charged with developing a report and recommendations from the Creating Our Future citizen engagement initiative in 2021.
In 2018, while at Accenture's Global Innovation Centre, The Dock, she founded the Human Insights Lab, in partnership with Trinity College School of Humanities, exploring the ethical and philosophical implications of disruptive, emerging technologies. As part of her role on the RTE / Science Foundation Ireland documentary, Big Life Fix, Lorna became a nationally recognised spokesperson for Irish Design in innovation and an advocate for design acting at a human scale, on social issues.
As Innovation leader for VHI Healthcare, Lorna led the strategies for Women’s Health, Digital Health and Care Ecosystem Integration. She sits on the Research and Innovation Board of Tallaght University Hospital and holds an adjunct faculty position with the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland.
In October 2024, she assumed the role of Head of Department, Design and Creative Media at ATU Donegal. Her focus at ATU will be to enrich the creative economy in the North West region, including cross border collaboration.
See info on panellists below:
Panel:
- Dr. Lorna Ross - Honorary Doctor in Art and Design, NCAD.
- Charlotte Barker - CEO, Institute of Designers in Ireland.
- Dr Ruth Freeman - Director of Science for Society, Research Ireland.
- Dr Josina Vink - Associate Professor in Service Design at AHO, Oslo.
Chair:
Professor Alex Milton - Head of the School of Design, NCAD.
Short Bios:
Charlotte Barker is the CEO of the Institute of Designers in Ireland (IDI), where she plays a crucial role in advancing the design profession across the island of Ireland. The Institute of Designers in Ireland is the largest and oldest association of Irish design professionals and is committed to advancing the value and impact of design in industry and wider society. Under her energetic leadership, the IDI focuses on supporting designers, encouraging collaboration, and enhancing the visibility and diversity of the design community. Prior to taking on her current role, Charlotte worked in strategic leadership roles for a number of leading international creative agencies. Charlotte's commitment to nurturing talent and driving innovation makes her a fabulous advocate for design in Ireland.
Dr Josina Vink is an Associate Professor in service design at AHO with expertise in health systems transformation. Josina’s research explores how design can create profound and significant change in healthcare by reshaping social structures, and they have worked for ten years as a service and system designer in health and care, including at the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation in the United States and the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Canada. Josina has extensive experience leading and facilitating participatory system and service design processes in healthcare, government, non-profit and community settings; successfully developing new services, supporting policy change and facilitating sectoral change.
Dr Ruth Freeman is the Director of Science for Society at Research Ireland, where she leads initiatives aimed at promoting the understanding and application of science in addressing societal challenges. Prior to her current appointment, Ruth has held a series of positions at Science Foundation Ireland, including overseeing all Science Foundation Ireland research funding programmes and management of funded awards, as well as the Foundation’s activities in conjunction with industry and international partners. Ruth is dedicated to bridging the gap between science and the community through public engagement. Her work focuses on enhancing science communication, fostering collaboration among stakeholders, and ensuring that scientific advancements benefit society at large.
