'Information Environments' (i.e) is a relatively new field for design exploration and i.e's name has been carefully considered in relationship to current trends in professional design practice but also in relationship to the shifting paradigms of our contemporary information and knowledge based society. As a result, there is great scope in i.e's involvement in establishing an exciting forum and research base for forward-thinking work in terms of defining what is meant by information, establishing its history, engaging with the communities and environments in which it occurs and the technologies used in its mediation.

Information Environments defines its research remit as any physical or virtual spaces where information is generated, received and experienced. Information Environments is particuarly interested in spaces that are populated by communities such as those found in common areas of urban and public spaces, museums, the Internet and learning environments, and where the exchange of ideas, concepts and knowledge is communicated.

Information Environments was designated by the University in 2007 and already the work currently undertaken by individual staff reflects a breadth of research experiences and interests in the areas of design and fine art practice including site specific installations, oral and design history, typography and graphic design, architecture, drawing, design pedagogy, oral history, digital arts, interaction design, human computer interaction, information design and independent publishing. Since designation, i.e members have exhibited at the Poetry Library, Royal Festival Hall and Event Gallery London; published books with Zidane Press London and edited/designed a special issue of Visual Communication on Information Environments for Sage.

In addition, interdisciplinary research projects with other UK university partners have been funded by the EPSRC and AHRC including a scoping study on communication design for counter-terror as well as workshops exploring health, wellbeing and the Digital Economy.

i.e members have also been involved in practice-led research, for example, mapping spaces on the future Olympic site through sound and in limited edition book form; designing television title sequences and spatial set graphics for ITV and BBC; and creating site-specific works for a hospital atrium in Ireland. The dissemination of i.e research has also taken place through presenting historical research on British road signs, and on more recent issues such as design, social inclusion and decision-making and government policy, as well as other subjects at national and international conferences. Members have also provided lectures on interdisciplinary research methods for postgraduate students at Central Saint Martins and London College of Communication as well as facilitating workshops on learning and teaching with undergraduate students at Camberwell College of Arts. A number of members have also been the subject of recent features in the international design press and published books.

Ongoing i.e team collaborations include the development of a series of manifesto posters, an exhibition on University learning environments and engagment in local community oral history research projects. Seminars, workshops and conferences are also an integral part of the remit of i.e and last year this included an international symposium co-sponsored with the Design Institute, RMIT, Australia, titled New Views 2: Conversations and Dialogues in Graphic Design (2008) which explored the future of the design profession. i.e supports a series of annual talks, 'The Information City' the first organised in 2008 in conjunction with the London College of Communication and C4D, Cranfield University and in 2009, in collaboration with the Institute of Urban Information as part of the London Design Festival.

i.e is comprised of two Directors — Professor Teal Triggs and Dr Patrick Roberts — with twenty-six UAL staff from across four of the colleges (Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, Camberwell Collge of Arts, Chelsea College of Art and Design, London College of Communication.) Peter Anderson and Christian Küsters are i.e's Research Fellows. We also have a number of Research Degrees students including those on AHRC funded studentships.


Information Environments is based at the London College of Communcation and at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.