Cluster Best Practice

The clusters supported through Phase 1 of the Designing for the 21st Century Initiative have a lot to tell us about how to run effective networking activities between academia and practice. These lessons are useful for design, but also for any other subject of interdisciplinary discourse. Drivers of cluster success include the need for:

~Effective leadership and delegation of tasks by the principal investigator associated with the cluster
~Early appointment of an effective co-ordinator for cluster activities and communications
~Early trust building through engaging cluster members in collaborative activities at cluster meetings
~Making an effort to establish a common language amongst cluster members through carefully designed shared activities rather than simply through discussion
~Establishing a clear well communicated vision for cluster discussions
~Engaging industry and design practice in cluster activities
~Having a good knowledge of what had already been done within the field of enquiry and/or making this a priority activity within cluster discussions
~Being cognisant of the 12 month operating timescale of research clusters and understanding the importance of maintaining an appropriate pace in cluster discussions in order to fulfil initial cluster objectives
~Planning activities and events sufficiently in advance

photo by Angus Colvin