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Arts, Design & Architecture

Innovation Hub

A collaborative problem-solving space at the core of the faculty. What problem would you like us to solve?

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UNSW Sydney ADA Innovation Hub logo

About us

​​​​​​The Innovation Hub is an interdisciplinary problem-solving initiative at the heart of UNSW’s most diverse faculty, the faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture (ADA). Established in 2021, the ADA Innovation Hub brings together our unique mix of expert knowledge from across six schools, six research centres, and multiple other labs, studios and galleries to solve problems, respond to opportunities and facilitate positive change.

Each year, the Innovation Hub, led by DrÌýCarly Vickers,Ìýundertakes a selection of projects proposed by our students, staff, industry or community partners.ÌýThrough carefully curated interdisciplinary teams of ADA staff and students, we work inclusively and collaboratively to find creative solutions to the diverse and complex issues of our time.
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Our projects

ADA Stories

ADA Stories explores creative methods to integrate and understand inclusion, with a focus on uncovering less visible experiences (and spaces) of belonging. It engages in story-driven ways to imagine, understand and map lived experiences of inclusion within our campus environments.

Caring for Country Leave

A proactive, culturally and environmentally just initiative, that provides UNSW ADA staff the opportunity to undertake up to four days additional leave per year to volunteer and give back to Country.

Making Good Media

A MASSIVE ACTION Sydney project using speculative design to help us imagine what media could look like in a hopeful, climate positive future. The Making Good Media project team of UNSW designers, directors, visual effects creators and writers create short, shareable media clips to show what possible futures might look like.

(Daily) Delight Disrupt

A grassroots movementÌýtransforming environmental engagement through simple, joyful activities. Themed weekly practices empower people to reconnect with each other and the planet through simple, delightful actions that disrupt harmful norms. By spreading joy and care, it builds a global culture of positive, restorative change.

Big Trauma, Big Change

A MASSIVE ACTION Sydney project redefining mental health support through community-driven, trauma-informed resources. Using immersive tools like VR, it empowers people to address trauma, foster connections, and spark transformation beyond the limits of traditional medical models.

Creative Conversations

The ADA Innovation Hub and Vince Frost of Frost*collective invite you to a series of Creative Conversations designed to explore and untangle important developments in the creative industries. These dynamic conversations unpack topics from a range of diverse perspectives, stimulating connection to ensure a thriving creative community in Sydney.

Unconvention

Our Unconvention trialled a new model for open and inclusive collaboration with a continuous evolution of participants and ideas. We brought 100 potential partners into conversations about five ongoing initiatives from our MASSIVE ACTION Sydney projects that address the wicked problems of climate, mental health, and environmental stewardship.

Festival of Care

A curated program of creative arts based interventions designed to enhance the wellbeing of hospital staff after the workplace pressures and stress of the COVID-19 pandemic - drawing on the talents of performing artists, designers, researchers, and creatives spaces from across UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture.

MASSIVE ACTION Sydney

From 2022-2024 the ADA Innovation Hub partnered with designers Bruce Mau and Aiyemobisi (Bisi) Williams and their Massive Change Network® on a collaborative project focusing on the areas ofÌýPower, Health, Climate & Translation, and in doing so will accelerate our ADA2051 commitment to seek and solve problems to improve life on earth.

Circular Economy Design Sprint

An immersive two-day workshop and design sprint designed to empower students from all disciplines as levers of change in a circular economy. Sixty students from 12 schools were challenged to think differently, to work creatively, and problem solve by collaborating in diverse, interdisciplinary teams.

Earth Day Poetry Slam

An international poetry slam competition hosted by the International Universities Climate Alliance, World Poetry Slam Organization, Climate Students Movement and the ADA Innovation Hub. Students from across the globe were invited to re-imagine our world through the medium of slam poetry to celebrate Earth Day 2023.

Innovation Hub Showcase 2022
December 17, 2022

2022 was a big and exciting year for the Innovation Hub, culminating in our annual Showcase which featured five out of our six current projects highlighting the amazing work achieved throughout the year by over 220 members of the ADA community.Ìý

Design for all the Senses

The co-design and delivery of an immersive production taking the audience through an experience of their five senses. Written and directed by Bruce Mau of Massive Change Network®, with original music, digital media design, choreography, graphic design, and production design by an ADA creative team brought together by the Innovation Hub.

My First Day: An Empathy Project

My First Day: An Empathy Project is a co-produced creative collaboration between the ADA Innovation Hub and the office of the Pro Vice Chancellor Education and Student Experience.

ADA Labs Pathway Project
The ADA Labs Pathway Project offers students the opportunity to experience the world-leading research labs across the faculty of ADA.
Antiracism Collective
This project presents an initial attempt to tackle the question: How do we understand racism, and what is the role of the university in tackling racism and racialisation both within the institution and more broadly?
UNSW Health Translation Hub
In 2021, five ADA project teams received seed funding to develop creative strategies for the new UNSW Health Translation Hub, a key building within the Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct.
University of the Future Design Sprint
How might we reimagine, reinvent or reconfigure the University of the Future?
Visual identity
Developed by ADA Lecturer in Design Stephen Goddard, the Innovation Hub visual identity was designed to respond to the essence of the Hub's problem-solving approach.

Meet the team

From left to right, we are:

Joanne Chiang - Research Assistant
Rogaya Alkaff - Administrative Officer
Baron Chau - Graphic Designer
Carly Vickers - Academic Lead (on leave for 2024)
Michaela Turner - Manager
Emma Peters - Lead Design Strategist 2024

Project alumni

The ADA Innovation Hub has welcomed over 400 project alumni since March 2021! If you would like to join our growing list of project alumni please contact usÌýto find out how.
Contact us

  • Rebecca Green, Academic Lead
    Sally Smythe, Project Manager
    Carmel O'Connor, Project Manager
    Anna Tow
    Sarah Liu
    Nicole Mather

    Project Partner
    Digital Grid Futures Institute

  • Tema Milstein, Academic Co-Lead
    John Carr, Academic Co-Lead
    Nicole Suniary, Project Manager
    Michael Donahue, Graphic Designer
    Thanh-Van Viviane Nguyen
    Valentina Campos

  • Jill Bennett, Academic Lead
    Jennifer Tyler, Project Manager
    Gail Kenning
    Chloe Cassidy
    Katherine Bond
    Volker Kuchelmeister
    Alina Wirtz

  • Sara Padgett Kjaersgaard, Project Co-Lead
    Tessa Carnegie, Project Co-Lead
    Colleen Nash, Project Manager

  • Charlotte Adams, Project Co-Lead
    Bronte Contador-Kelsall, Project Co-Lead
    Emma Mills, Project Facilitator

  • Emma Kirby, Project Co-Lead
    Josh Wiesberger,ÌýProject Co-Lead
    Emma Peters, Design Strategist
    Ash Watson
    Aves Parsemain
    Charlotte Allan
    David Curzon
    Jace Dent
    kylie valentine
    Lewen Wei
    Lydia Gitau
    Rogaya Alkaff
    Thuy Giang
    Wanning Cai
    Xiaohan (Hannah) Gong
    Yasmin Malak

  • Project Sponsors:
    Claire Annesley, Dean, Arts, Design & Architecture
    Carly Vickers, Innovation Hub

    Academic Leads:
    Jill Bennett, Director, The Big Anxiety
    Michael Balfour, Head of School, School of the Arts & Media

    Project Manager/s:
    Michaela Turner, Innovation Hub
    Dennison Lindberg

    Project Team:
    Katherine Bond
    Chloe Cassidy
    Ellen Clapin
    Gail Kenning
    Lydia Gitau
    Volker Kuchelmeister
    Jennifer Tyler

    Graphics Design:
    Baron Chau, Innovation Hub

    Collaborators:
    South Eastern Sydney Local Health District
    Big Anxiety Research Centre
    Nigel Lavender, Momentum Arts

  • Project Sponsors:
    Claire Annesley, Dean, Arts, Design & ArchitectureÌý
    Carly Vickers, Innovation Hub
    Emma Peters, Innovation Hub

    Project Manager:
    Rogaya Alkaff, Innovation Hub

    Event Manager:
    Emma Snowden

    Project Team:
    Michaela Turner, Innovation Hub
    Baron Chau, Innovation Hub
    Charlotte Adams, Innovation Hub

    Collaborators:
    Frost*collective
    Kartini Ludwig, Kopi Su Studio
    Joel Pearson, Future Minds Lab
    Jules Munro, Simpsons
    Shelly Simpson, Mud Australia
    Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, UNSW Art & Design
    Professor Frederik Anseel, UNSW Business School

  • Project Sponsors:
    Claire Annesley, Dean, Arts, Design & Architecture
    Sven Rogge, Dean, Science

    Academic Lead:
    Carly Vickers, Innovation Hub

    Project Team:
    Michaela Turner, Innovation Hub
    Rogaya Alkaff, Innovation Hub
    Baron Chau, Innovation Hub
    Joanne Chiang, Innovation Hub

    Collaborators:
    Pippa Corry, philo & co
    Veena Sahajwalla, Director, Centre for Sustainable Materials Research & Technology, UNSW

    Design Sprint Facilitators:
    Baron Chau, UNSW
    Ashley Eriksmoen, ANU
    Matthew Harkness, UNSW
    Emma Mills, UNSW

  • Project Management Team
    Claire Annesley, Dean
    David Cami, Faculty Executive Director
    Carly Vickers, Innovation Hub
    Michaela Turner, Innovation Hub
    Rogaya Alkaff, Innovation Hub
    Joanne Chiang, Innovation Hub
    Emma Mills, School of Art & Design
    Trea Murphy, Division of External Engagement
    Emma Snowden, Division of External Engagement
    Cheyenne Bardos, Division of External Engagement
    Nicolle Fierro, Dean's Unit
    Colleen Nash, Dean's Unit

    Acceleration Team
    Claire Annesley, Dean, Arts, Design & Architecture
    John Carr, School of Humanities & Languages
    Chloe Cassidy, School of Art & Design
    Matthias Haeusler, School of Built Environment
    Timothy Heffernan, School of Built Environment
    Clair Hill, School of Humanities & Languages
    Paul Matthews, Creative Practice Lab
    Rickie-Lee McLaurin-Smith, School of Social Sciences
    Tema Milstein, School of Humanities & Languages
    Vanessa Traynor, Arts, Design & Architecture
    Michaela Turner, Dean's Unit
    Carly Vickers, School of Art & Design

    Climate Team
    Jane Cameron, School of Art & Design
    Melody Framp, Arts, Design & Architecture
    Rebecca Green, School of Art & Design
    Matthias Haeusler, School of Built Environment
    Tony Loughland, School of Education
    Paul Matthews, Creative Practice Lab
    Rickie-Lee McLaurin-Smith, School of Social Sciences
    Carmel O'Connor, Arts, Design & Architecture
    Sara Padgett Kjaersgaard, School of Built Environment
    Emma Peters, School of Art & Design
    Christina Silk, School of Built Environment
    Dean Utian, Arts, Design & Architecture

    Health TeamÌý
    Jill Bennett, National Institute for Experimental Arts
    Katherine Bond, School of Art & Design
    Chloe Cassidy, School of Art & Design
    Clair Hill, School of Humanities & Languages
    Reside Oya Demirbilek, School of Built Environment
    Mariano Ramirez, School of Built Environment
    Vanessa Traynor, Arts, Design & Architecture

    Power Team
    Srinjoy Bose, School of Social Sciences
    John Carr, School of Humanities & Languages
    Nicole Crouch, School of Art & Design
    Uros Cvoro, Arts, Design & Architecture
    Farnaz Fattahi, School of Built Environment
    Paola Favaro, School of Built Environment
    Timothy Heffernan, School of Built Environment
    Melody Li, School of Art & Design
    Damien March, Arts, Design & Architecture
    Tema Milstein, School of Humanities & Languages
    Trea Murphy, Arts, Design & Architecture
    Chanah Wainer, School of Education

    Translation Team
    Emma Mills (Lead), School of Art & Design
    Charlotte Adams, School of Art & Design
    Josh Anstee, School of Art & Design
    Virginie Aubard, School of Built Environment
    Max Booker, School of Art & Design
    Sam Carman, School of Art & Design
    Hannah Carthew, School of Art & Design
    Josephine Seri Collins, School of Built Environment
    Bronte Contador-Kelsall, School of Art & Design
    Leah Guo, School of Art & Design
    Olivia Halmarick, School of Art & Design
    Mark Isichei, School of Art & Design
    Jiaying (Nina) Lai, School of Built Environment
    Kyah Lawson, School of Art & Design
    Jordan Lewis, School of Art & Design
    Sarah Liu, School of Art & Design
    Amy Munns, School of Art & Design
    Ciara O'Reilly, School of Art & Design
    Jiaying Qian, School of Art & Design
    Alexianna Stephenson, School of Art & Design
    Narnia Tanious, School of Art & Design
    Maria Thaddea, School of Art & Design
    Hana Thomson, School of Art & Design
    Oliver van den Bogaerde, School of Art & Design
    Alina Wirtz, School of Art & Design
    Lisiqi Zhang, School of Built Environment

    Visual Comms Facilitators
    Baron Chau, School of Art & Design
    Vivien Sung, School of Art & Design
    Michael Donahue, School of Art & Design

  • A collaborative performance by Massive Change Network and UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture

    Written and Directed by Bruce Mau

    Executive Producers
    Claire Annesley, UNSW
    David Cami, UNSW
    Aiyemobisi Williams, MCN

    Producers
    Carly Vickers, UNSW
    Paul Matthews, UNSW
    Amaris Galea-Orbe, MCN

    Script Writer
    Cathy DeRonne, MCN

    Composer
    Alister Spence, UNSW

    Musicians, UNSW
    Alistair Johnston tenor saxophone
    Ben Phipps double bass
    Blaize Calavera Sivis baritone saxophone
    Emma Korell soprano, alto saxophone
    Fergus Spencer electric bass
    Hayden White violin
    Lara Van Den Holder viola
    Madeline Maher voice
    Michael Brady electric guitar, voice
    Xinghan Feng clarinet

    Visual Design and Animation Team
    Melody Li, UNSW (Lead)
    Anna Tow, UNSW (Lead)
    Jacob Rendina, UNSW
    Wenjie Wang, UNSW

    Choreography
    Paul Matthews, UNSW

    Graphic Design
    Briedy Mahar, UNSW
    Michail Vlasopoulos, MCN

    Mask Production
    Design Futures Lab, UNSW

    Event Manager
    Emma Snowden, UNSW

    Communications Strategy
    Trea Murphy, UNSW

    Production Team
    Nicolle Fierro, UNSW
    Joanne Chiang, UNSW
    Maria Thaddea, UNSW
    Joe Eyre, UNSW
    Zhuoya Wang, UNSW
    Gretchen Gsceidle, MCN
    Jessica Fenner, MCN
    Brea Graber, MCN

    Special Thanks
    Roundhouse Theatre, UNSW
    Big Picture
    Indigigrow
    Benji & Jono Bergmann
    Itamar Kubovy
    Carbon8

  • Academic Lead
    Ramaswami Harindranath

    Theme Leadership
    Andrew Brooks
    Astrid Lorange
    Katherine Thompson
    Mengistu Amberber
    Rose Amazan
    Srinjoy Bose

    Advisory Board
    Andrea Durbach
    BJ Newton
    Stephen Loo
    Anna Munster

    Project Participants
    Amjid Ali Khan
    Md Badiuzzaman
    Monika Barthwal-Datta
    Keiko Bostwick
    Helen Caple
    Jose Da Silva
    Keren David
    Jamilla de Jonge
    Tanja DreherÌý
    Awni Etaywe
    Roanna Gonsalves
    Ruby Hamad
    Finnegan Hassey
    Bianca Hester
    Chi Chi Huang
    Amani Kasherwa
    Ilan Katz
    Diana Kreemers
    Sujith Kumar
    Jung-Sook Lee
    Scarlett Li-Williams
    Damien March
    Tierney Marey
    Mohammad Mojtahedi
    Aneshka Mora
    Bonaventure Munganga
    Maimuna Musarrat
    Sylvester Okeke
    Aves Parsemain
    James Perez
    Shima Saniei
    Mitchell Whitehead
    Joyce Wu
    Xiaxia Zhang
    Anthony Zwi

    Collaborators
    Dakota Smith

  • Project Sponsors:Ìý
    Associate ProfessorÌýSimon McIntyre (Director, Educational Innovation, PVCESE)
    Dr. Carly Vickers (Academic Lead, ADA Innovation Hub)

    Based on a Concept by:Ìý
    Patience Loh (UNSW Alumni and Industry Designer)

    Director andÌýAcademic Lead:Ìý
    Dr.ÌýAmin Palangi (Lecturer, School of Arts and Media)

    Writers:Ìý
    Yasmin Malak (Undergraduate student, School of Arts and Media)
    David Curzon (MPhil Student, Script Writer and Director, Sessional Academic - School of Arts and Media)​â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹

    Producer:Ìý
    David Curzon

    Project Manager:Ìý
    Melody FrampÌý(ADA Innovation Hub)

    Technical Producer:Ìý
    Graham Hannah (Manager, Immersive technologies, PVCESE)

    Technical Team and Editors:Ìý
    Brian Landrigan (Manager, Educational Media and Immersive Technologies)
    Dr. XueqingÌýLu (Immersive Technology Specialist)

    Music and Sound Design:Ìý
    Dr.ÌýAdam Hulbert (Senior Lecturer, School of Arts and Media)​â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹

    Graphic Design:Ìý
    Baron Chau (Sessional Academic, School of Art and Design)

    Project Administrative Support:Ìý
    Rogaya Alkaff (ADA Innovation Hub)

    ​â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹National Institute Dramatic Arts - Actors:
    Nickin Alexander
    Alec Dalzeil
    Arvin Bhattacharya
    Attu Ngor
    Elodie Westhoff
    Hugo Liu
    Sarabi Gristwood Sponza
    Sovanarry Chan
    Swanika Ramkumar
    Tawanda MuzendaÌý

  • Project Lead
    Scott Brown, School of Art & Design

    Research Lab Directors
    John McGhee, Director, 3DVAL & EPICentre
    Mari Velonaki, Director, Creative Robotics Lab
    Tomasz Bednardz, Past Director, EPICentre

    XR Dance Studio
    Matt Cabanag, Academic Mentor, School of Art & Design
    Shiya Lu, ADA Student
    Robert Lawther, Technical Advisor
    Facility:
    EPICentre Lab

    Object Image Making
    Bic Tieu, Academic Mentor, School of Art & DesignÌý
    Penny Zhang, ADA Student
    Ethan Jones, Technical Advisor
    Facility:
    3D Visualisation Aesthetics Lab

    Virtual Characters Vs Social Robots
    Eduardo Sandoval, Academic Mentor, School of Art & Design
    Max Tintner, ADA Student
    Benjamin Bailey, Technical Advisor
    Facilities:
    3D Visualisation Aesthetics Lab
    Creative Robotics LabÌý

    Heightened Perceptions
    Haider Akmal, Academic Mentor, School of Art & Design
    Jonathan Shaw (Zeyu Xiao), ADA Student
    Sarita Herse, Technical Advisor
    Facility:
    Creative Robotics Lab

    UCE2030 Future Users and Generators of Clean Energy
    Stephen Loo, Academic Mentor, School of Art & Design
    Ilpo Koskinen, Academic Mentor,ÌýSchool of Engineering
    Van-Andrew Nguyen, ADA Student
    Sofia Honcoote, ADA Student
    Conan Bourke, Technical Advisor
    Robert Lawther, Technical Advisor
    Facility:
    EPICentre Lab

  • Project Participants
    Christy Newman (ADA, Associate Dean Engagement & Impact)
    Jennifer Biddle (ADA, Associate Dean Engagement & Impact)
    Robert Lawther (Senior Software Designer, EPICentre)
    Carly Vickers (ADA Innovation Hub)
    Michaela Turner (ADA Innovation Hub)
    Rogaya Alkaff (ADA Innovation Hub)

  • Breathe

    Staff
    Oliver Bown (Project Lead), Kate Dunn, Katherine Bond, Adam Hulbert, Nichola Jephcott, Simon Trevaks, Madi King, Charlotte Firth, Daniel Yu, Alex Tohidi

    Students
    Darcy Altavilla, Joanne Chiang, Marco Rinaldi, Ailish Power, Arno Zhang

    Collaborators
    mili mili (consultation on a schedule for Indigenous community consultation and engagement), Kurt Mikolajczyk (audio system programming), Mitch Allen, Neelam Gopalani and Rebecca Cadorin (Arup)

    Health Equity and Literacy Media Space (HELMS)

    Staff
    Anthony Zwi (Project Lead), Hani Abdile, Valentina Baú, Dean Utian

    Students
    Keren David, Kayla Lochner, Loc Nguyen

    Collaborators:Ìý
    Justin Koonin (ACON)

    Symbolic Roots

    Staff
    Karen Kriss (Project Lead), Oya Demirbilek (Project Lead), Ant Banister (Sound Consultant), Danielah Martinez (Lead Designer)

    Students
    Thomas Bowman, Jungwon Eom, Nguyen Vy Luong, Olivia Spurling

    Collaborators
    Tilt Industrial Design (Industry Partner), Mighty Nice (Animation Consultant), 22MILES (Wayfinding, App & Website Consultant), Scott Brown (Well-being Hub & Sensory Garden Consultant), Min Kong (Wayfinding Strategic Consultant), Aunty Maxine Ryan (First Nations Consulatant and local Dharawal woman from La Perouse), Joshua Yasserie (First Nations Consulatant and Wiradjuri man, Graphic Artist and Animator)

    Moment-us

    Staff
    Paul Osmond (Project Lead), Kate Bishop, Linda Corkery, Rebecca Green, John McGhee, Felicity Rawlings-Sanaei, Cathy Sherry

    Students
    Latham Brook

    Collaborators
    Majed Abuseif (Griffith University), Hekmat Hozilah (Industry), Homa Rahmat (Industry)

    Site first: site-specific and site-responsive art for HTH

    Staff
    Allan Giddy (Project Lead), Anikó Hatoss, Michael Kempson, Damien March

    Students
    Jack Poppert, Amelia van der Laan de Vries

Contact us

Innovation Hub