Design Council as part of the Design and Technology Alliance
Crime has fallen over the last decade but new crime challenges have emerged as society, and technology, have evolved. Changing behaviour is of course one aspect of crime reduction, but design has an important role to play in preventing crimes and reducing criminal activity.
The challenge for design is to how to create products, services and environments that address the needs of users - and abusers. In other words, designers need to become more creative than criminals.
We launched a research project exploring the use of design best practice to reduce crime, which was carried out for the Design Council by Sheffield Hallam University, the University of Salford and the Judge Institute of Management Studies which led to our policy paper Cracking Crime Through Design.
Our publication Think Thief builds the business case for design against crime. It reveals ways in which the design of products, services and environments can be made more resistant to theft and criminal damage without reducing their allure, marketability or user-friendliness.
Evidence, our collection of case studies, features commercial and public projects that have effectively designed out crime. In it you can find out how a new type of drinking glass cut violent attacks, how the clothes of tomorrow could save your life and how an innovative design team made bus users feel safer.
We've also been involved in putting together a teaching package exploring design issues related to the theft of personal products, which has been developed by Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design. You can learn more about their practice-led research at www.designagainstcrime.com.
As members of the new Design and Technology Alliance, we are looking at ways to:
- promote innovation
- identify incentives for business to design-out crime, and
- advise on what consumers want.
We want to hear your views. You can add your comments – and read others’ views – on our Perspectives page.
