14 April 2011
Russell Kennedy the President of Icograda welcomed at Swinburne University of Technology
Icograda President Russell Kennedy has been appointed as an adjunct research fellow with the Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology. Swinburne, a member of the Icograda Education Network (IEN) since 2003, is a highly respected design school based in Melbourne, Australia.
"It is a pleasure to welcome Russell Kennedy back to Swinburne," says Ken Friedman, Dean of the Faculty of Design. "As a Swinburne graduate and a leading figure in the design profession, we're proud to bring him home."
"We're delighted to have Russell here for two important reasons. At a time when business and the public sector call on designers to solve larger and more challenging problems than ever before, research is a key factor in professional excellence. As President of Icograda, Russell is a global spokesman for the design profession. As a researcher, he is leading the way in professional development."
"Beyond this, the growing importance of design in private and public sector functions is leading to a global interest in design policy. Russell has been a pioneer in this field and acts as a key advisor to the Australian Design Alliance. Joining Prof. Per Mollerup and Prof. Dori Tunstall, Mr. Kennedy strengthens our position as a global centre of excellence for research and development in design policy."
Russell's background is in both communication design and filmmaking. Prior to joining Swinburne University, Russell was a Senior Lecturer of Visual Communication at Monash University. He has been a director of Russell Kennedy Design Pty Ltd, a corporate identity consultancy, and Onset Productions Pty Ltd, a motion picture and documentary company. Russell was elected to the Executive Board of Icograda as Vice President in 2003 and became President in 2009.
After 17 years with Monash University, Russell has enthusiastically accepted the research fellow position at Swinburne where he will also undertake a PhD candidature. His research focus will be in the area of design advocacy and government policy. Russell says, "Swinburne's commitment to design research and leadership is outstanding. The Faculty of Design is endowed with remarkable research talent from Australia and around the world. I'm looking forward to working for Swinburne, a University that clearly understands design research and the vital role design plays in improving every aspect of society."
Russell brings a wealth of experience to Swinburne. He is a Fellow of London's Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce (RSA). He is an active member and advisor to both the Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA) and the Design Institute of Australia (DIA). Russell is a member of the international advisory board to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. He is a Regional Ambassador to INDEX: 'Design to Improve life', the Danish Government's International Award program. In 2009, Russell was a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Government advisory board for the Seoul Design Olympiad and in 2010 sat on the advisory board of the World Design CapitalTM Seoul. Russell is an advisor to Design Victoria and has worked closely with the Victorian and Queensland Governments on Icograda events and projects. In 2008, Russell was recognised as a 'Club Melbourne Ambassador' by the Premier of Victoria, the Hon. John Brumby, MP for his ongoing efforts in promoting Victoria's design capabilities internationally as well as Melbourne as a convention and events destination. Russell is the founder of INDIGO, Icograda's International Indigenous Design Network, which was launched in October 2007 at the Icograda General Assembly in La Habana, Cuba. INDIGO was developed as a research project under his leadership at Monash University. In July 2007, Russell assigned the intellectual property generated from this project to Icograda. Icograda has headquartered the INDIGO Secretariat in Montreal, Canada, and continues to develop the initiative under the title of INDIGO.
During the first year of his Presidency, Russell initiated Iridescent, the Icograda Journal of Design Research. Iridescent is an online journal established to advance Icograda's strategic aim of supporting the development of design education (theory, practice, and research). Launched in March 2010, this peer-reviewed publication invites researchers and scholars worldwide to submit innovative design research in any of the six official languages of the United Nations (English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic). One of Iridescent's goals is to make emerging work available to a broad international audience, establishing a benchmark for design research in the process.