Throughout the years of Imagination we, in conjuction with fellow Lancaster University reasearchers, have had various explanatory “Little Book of …” published to explain and share our research to a wider audience, often in collaboration with other universities.
All are free to download as PDFs (links are in the descriptions below), and we can sometimes offer a hard copy free of charge too. Please contact us to find out more.
If you would like to understand better what design research is and how it helps drive us towards solutions for societal challenges please look at our “What is Design Research?” page, and if you’d like to explore collaborating with us you can find more information on our Collaborate With Us page.
You can find more ‘Little Book of …’ publications on the PETRAS website and further ‘Liveable Cities’ publications here.
This little book is for organisations, teams and individuals who wish to learn more about how Creative Evaluation can support their evaluation needs and goals.
As output of our work relating to Adoption and Acceptability and the House Training the Internet of Things for the PETRAS Cybersecurity for the Internet of Things Research Hub we have created a guide for designers and developers of IoT products and services who may wish to use Design Fiction as part of their design process
This Little Book explains what net zero carbon policies are, and why these policies need to ensure that all of society is included in their design. It also includes suggestions for designing equitable net-carbon zero policies.
This Little Book tells you about research on social and ethical aspects of innovation for a low carbon mobility transformation.
Despite all their positive potential, IoT devices are still being designed, manufactured and disposed of in the same manner that most other ‘non-connected’ consumer products have been for decades – unsustainably. Furthermore, little of the discourse around the IoT recognises or responds to this growing issue. We hope this Little Book will kickstart this important conversation and help those creating future IoT products and services to consider new approaches that have sustainability baked-in.
PETRAS researchers have drawn on different philosophical theories to help them understand some of the difficult relationships between the digital, physical and connectivity qualities of the IoT. This book considers these relationships in terms of how they impact privacy, ethics, trust, risk, security, and adoption.
This little book tells you about research that we did as part of the Liveable Cities project, looking at sharing in cities. Through a series of conversations with researchers and workshops with citizens of Lancaster and Birmingham in 2015
This little book explores what is actually meant by smart (cities). More importantly, it is about how, given a range of contexts and local conditions, we can make cities smart for everyone.
The purpose of this Little Book is to provide a holistic but condensed overview of the key aspects of plastics as they are produced, con- sumed and disposed of in contemporary consumer culture. We centre attention not just on the materiality of plastics but also on their meanings and how they come to be experienced and lived with in daily life.
In this Little Book we will address the question ‘To what extent is it possible to manage the planet?’ Our book will help situate the challenges and implications management face in developing sustainable approaches to planet Earth and their adequacy. Key concepts from environmental science and management literature will also be explained.
The Little Book, written jointly by researchers from across the globe, draws on a systems approach to urban sustainability and explains urban health today, how cities function as complex living systems, how urban, human and planetary health are connected, and what cities around the world can learn from one another.
This little book tells you about research that we did as part of the Liveable Cities project, looking at wellbeing in neighbourhoods.
This Little Book tells you about how the Healthier Fleetwood programme from the perspective of Fleetwood residents. It explores how Healthier Fleetwood helped the community break out the loneliness, make new friends, and reconnect with the town life. Finally, it tells you some inspiring stories of change within Fleetwood.
Health challenges require innovative solutions. This is where the power of design comes in.
The new Little Book of Design for Health in Latin America reveals how designers are tackling pressing healthcare needs across the region. Through 13 case studies, you’ll see examples of products, services, spaces, materials, tools, and education programs that are moving the needle on health equity and access.
Download the PDF – it is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
This little book is about creating value in the Internet of Things (IoT) within the digital economy. We explain why it is important to understand how the IoT will transform value creation and how we can use design to mediate value.
This Little Book explains what Design Research is and how it can be used in relation to policy making. It includes examples of projects where design research and policy come together and methods which might be used to do more of this in the future.
This Little Book is the result of a project funded by the UK Ministry
of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as part of
PropTech Innovation Fund Round 4. This work has been delivered
in the Mill Race area, Lancaster, UK in 2024 between Lancaster City
Council, Imagination Lancaster, Lancaster University and Garsdale
Design Limited.
Digital Planning is about upskilling, streamlining and engaging the
public in the planning process using digital tools and services for
placemaking, development and enhancement of our environment.
