PhD

OPEN CALL: Work with us on exciting—and important—projects!

The Capabilities Approach to Justice

^{The capabilities approach to justice in application to powerful owls}

Research Objectives

Would you like to contribute to conceptual, scientific, technical, and political innovations that enable plants, animals, microorganisms, or entire living systems to participate in—or even lead—design efforts?

Our research group builds on approaches such as ecocentric design, more-than-human design, and interspecies design to create better and more inclusive futures.

We are looking for students who are passionate about these topics and who want to contribute to the development of new methods, tools, and theories that can help us design with and for nonhuman stakeholders.

Necessary Background

To work on the project within our lab you need to be familiar with and in agreement with this overall framing. To become familiar with the key concepts, please look at the following materials:

A discussion of interspecies design as an ethical and necessary future:

Roudavski, Stanislav. “Interspecies Design.” In Cambridge Companion to Literature and the Anthropocene, edited by John Parham, 147–62. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021.

Discussions of the challenges for more-than-human design:

Roudavski, Stanislav. “Notes on More-than-Human Architecture.” In Undesign: Critical Practices at the Intersection of Art and Design, edited by Gretchen Coombs, Andrew McNamara, and Gavin Sade, 24–37. Abingdon: Routledge, 2018. https://doi.org/10/czr8.
Roudavski, Stanislav. “Multispecies Cohabitation and Future Design.” In Proceedings of Design Research Society (DRS) 2020 International Conference: Synergy, edited by Stella Boess, Ming Cheung, and Rebecca Cain, 731–50. London: Design Research Society, 2020. https://doi.org/10/ghj48x.

An example of a project for a nonhuman stakeholder that follows the principles described above:

A brief article in the Conversation: Urban owls are losing their homes. So we're 3D printing them new ones
A conference paper on some aspects of the project: Roudavski, Stanislav, and Dan Parker. “Modelling Workflows for More-than-Human Design: Prosthetic Habitats for the Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua).” In Impact - Design with All Senses: Proceedings of the Design Modelling Symposium, Berlin 2019, edited by Gengnagel, Christoph, Baverel, Olivier, Burry, Jane, Thomsen, Mette Ramsgaard, and Weinzierl, Stefan, 554–64. Cham: Springer, 2020. https://doi.org/10/dbkp.

You can see further relevant publications on academia.edu: Stanislav Roudavski

You can view a video presentation that discusses some of the relevant topics here:

You can see further project- and topic-based video presentations here.

Topics and Projects

In this inherently transdisciplinary field, many topics intersect with design or, conversely, can benefit from design visualisations, provocations, and prototyping.

Example themes include:

more-than-human design
- design participation processes and methods (nonhuman expertise, multiple knowledge systems, nonhuman leadership)
- data-driven design and engineering (simulation, modelling, fabrication, systems, monitoring)
- capabilities-based approaches to designing for/with nonhuman stakeholder
more-than-human history and heritage
- cultural and historical heritage of more-than-human and nonhuman collectives
- reinterpretation of human-centred histories
more-than-human technical innovation
- data acquisition using innovative sensors and autonomous robotic platforms
- data processing and analysis using machine learning and AI
- generative and parametric design
- digital fabrication and prototyping
more-than-human ethics and politics
- approaches to decision-making
- accountability in eco-socio-technical systems
more-than-human knowledge and communication
- design within sensory and cognitive ecologies
- interspecies communication and knowledge-sharing
more-than-human biology and ecology
- innovative artificial habitat structures for conservation
- modelling of spatio-temporal habitat dynamics
- monitoring of nonhuman stakeholders in support of design
more-than-human philosophy
- agency, authorship, and individuality
- distributed and relational intelligence, knowledge, cognition, and creativity

The lab welcomes a broad range of potential projects, provided they align with our more-than-human orientation and focus on evidence-supported innovation. We are open to all ideas.

To make some suggestions, possible projects that can engage with material research and robotics include:

analysis of tree geometries as habitat structures and the generative design of human-made replacements or prosthetic additions. This research already integrates automatic feature recognition on point clouds and AI-driven abstraction and reconstruction. We have built and plan to develop further physical prototypes.
analysis of near-surface habitats, including environments where mosses, lichens, and other organisms thrive, such as stone surfaces, ground, and bark. This could inform the development of generative routines to create building elements inspired by these ecological structures.

Forms of Graduate Research and Supervision

We welcome co-supervisions with any university and across disciplines. Our projects typically require multiple supervisors, for example in ecology, design, and technology.

Many of our members collaborate with The University of Melbourne and the Melbourne School of Design, which support three forms of graduate research: the written thesis, the PhD by publication, and the PhD by creative work.

Our preference is for a thesis composed of publications informed by design experiments, or 'the written thesis with publication'. We also disseminate research outcomes through exhibitions, festivals, performances, and public installations, which can include structures, recorded works, interactive applications, and other creative forms.

Methods

Deep Design Lab employs a wide range of methods, with a focus on evidence-based, data-driven research. We aim to develop new theories through design experiments, which may include building physical prototypes, computational modelling, scenario planning, games, storytelling, and other innovative approaches.

Funding

If you need funding for your graduate research, you will need to apply for one of the competitive scholarships. The Melbourne School of Design offers several scholarships for both domestic and international students.

Structure of Research Proposal

If the above is of interest, read these guidelines that will help to to develop a logical research proposal.

Make sure to support your proposal with evidence derived from academic sources. Use a formal citation style for citation. We use The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition.

Applicant Qualifications

You will need excellent academic marks (an average above 80%) and a strong commitment for research in more-than-human design. We welcome applicants with advanced technical skills, creative abilities, or relevant industrial experience.

Writing Skills

Our research group seeks to present research outcomes to a variety of interdisciplinary audiences. This requires excellent proficiency in spoken and written English. We encourage all students, including English speakers, to take take formal courses in academic presentation and academic writing.

Examples of courses include:

You should also know knowledge management and referencing skills. We use Zotero for the management of references and citations. Please be familiar with this systems and use it in preparation of your proposal.

Writing is a challenging mode of expression that requires practice. We recommend that you write regularly and seek feedback from peers and mentors. Examples of published work will serves as a strong asset in your application and make further research easier.

English as Second Language

If English is not your first language, you will need high scores in English proficiency tests, including writing. You can see the scores below. Please note, our research group expects higher scores than those listed for the Melbourne School of Design.

IELTS (academic English only)	TOEFL (paper-based)	TOEFL (Internet-based)	Pearson Test of English (Academic)	Cambridge English: Advanced/Certificate of Advanced English (CAE)
7.5 overall, with no band less than 7.0	615 + TWE 5.0	100+ Writing 27 Speaking 24 Reading 24 Listening 24	76+ No communicative skill below 68	190 + No skill below 185

Technical Skills

We aim to support our research with solid evidence and, therefore, especially welcome students that can complement their creative abilities with skills in programming, numerical analysis, geographical information systems, sensing and imaging, mechatronics, robotics, material science or similar.

Our recommendation is to prepare by taking some online courses in programming and statistics, there are many available.

If you are a beginner, consider:

Learning | Daniel Shiffman

Materials to Submit

Weighted Average Mark (WAM) or equivalent. The University of Melbourne requires a WAM of 80% or higher.
English language test results.
Draft research proposal (this can be an initial idea for discussion. For final expectations at the University of Melbourne, see here).
CV (make your technical skills clear)
Portfolio of design and research work (include information on your design and technical capabilities, plus clarify your role in collaborative projects if applicable).
Examples of writing, if available (especially publications).

Timeline

We recommend beginning the application process early, ideally one year in advance. Engage with potential supervisors in person or via video conference to discuss your project and research prospects. Collaborative development can significantly refine your research proposal.

Examples of PhD Projects at the Lab

For examples of existing PhD topics, see:

From Alexander Holland

Go to text →

Simulation of Bird Vision

^{A simulation of bird vision}

Designing with Nonhumans

Supervisors:

Stanislav Roudavski, The University of Melbourne, Senior Lecturer, More-than-Human Design
Phillip Gibbons, Australian National University, Professor, Ecology
Jason Thompson, The University of Melbourne, Associate Professor, Urban Design, Transportation, and Health

This thesis seeks to expand the notion of design to include nonhuman lifeforms as empowered contributors. It argues that designing with rather than for nonhuman beings such as birds and trees is necessary in the era where human-centred approaches fail to address the environmental crises. To explore the conceptual and practical circumstances of inclusive designing, this thesis constructs an argument of three parts. The first part defines design. Biological studies show that many organisms design their own environments. This background leads this thesis to a pragmatic, outcome-oriented definition of design as a more-than-human, shared ability to invent new forms of living.

Having understood design as more-than-human, this thesis then demonstrates the need to consider nonhumans as political agents. Nonhuman beings engage in political speech when they resist, abstain, and modify their behaviour. Acknowledging this capability, this thesis reframes agency as relational, distributed, and communal.

Nonhuman beings have capabilities that make some forms of participation more feasible than others. Often, they lack the powers to plan for their futures because the anthropocentric frameworks within which they live do not value their contributions. In response, part three amplifies participatory methods with computational techniques including artificial intelligence and simulation.

Necessary, this topic engages with the evidence from multiple disciplines to show that concepts such as politics, language, justice, and democracy can benefit from the inclusion of nonhuman agents. Recent research in sensory ecologies, biosemiotics, embodied cognition, nonhuman behaviour and learning in combination with ecocentric analysis of ecological justice provide an opportunity to contribute. This thesis responds to such research by amplifying these frameworks with techniques of design computing. The main research question of this thesis is:

How can humans design with nonhumans?

A possible response, or the hypothesis, of this thesis is that:

Humans and nonhumans can design together using data-driven methods. The product of this design can create more equitable collectives and help their members live better lives.

Current more-than-human approaches lack established research methods. To investigate its hypothesis, this thesis uses design experiments to construct conceptual explorations that combine technical implementations with imaginative possibilities. These experiments engage with real-world places, communities, and stakeholders. Examples include tools that quantify contributions by birds, trees, and others making them available as guidance in practical projects.

From Dan Parker

Go to text →

Artificial Nest for the Powerful Owl

^{A prosthetic-hollow design for the powerful owl}

Designing for Multispecies Cohabitation: The Case of Prosthetic Habitats

Supervisors:

Stanislav Roudavski, The University of Melbourne, Senior Lecturer, More-than-Human Design
Kylie Soanes, The University of Melbourne, Research Fellow, Ecosystem and Forest Sciences

How can the design of the built environment help to achieve multispecies cohabitation? What can design contribute to the endeavour of creating places where human and nonhuman lives thrive? The need to address such questions is increasingly urgent in the context of climate change, urbanisation, and mass species extinction. In response, Dan’s PhD aims to establish innovative design measures that support coexistence between humans and other living beings. Such design poses complex practical and theoretical challenges that span multiple scales, stakeholders, and knowledge bases. Combining expertise in architectural design, biological sciences, and environmental humanities, Dan’s thesis introduces the idea of ‘prosthetic habitat-structures’ as one promising approach to designing with and for nonhumans. Prosthetic habitat-structures refer to a design strategy which aims to reinstate absent habitat opportunities by grafting elements onto existing structures like trees or buildings. Dan focuses primarily on the design of prosthetic tree-hollows. These structures are important in response to the global decline in numbers of large old trees. The hollows that develop in these trees provide crucial habitat structure many species of birds, mammals, and reptiles. However, tree hollows can take several decades to form and are in short supply in urban and agricultural areas. Existing designs for human-made replacements, such as nest boxes, have known limitations. In response, Dan’s PhD proposes that techniques of computer-aided design, notions of interspecies cultures, and approaches to co-design can improve the implementation of prosthetic habitat-structures across their entire lifecycles. To test these hypotheses, the PhD instigated comparative case-studies on human-owl cohabitation in Australia and Italy. Outcomes include field installations, theoretical frameworks, and practical toolkits that help establish new best practices for interspecies design. This research stands to benefit a range of multispecies communities and contributes to a growing body of interdisciplinary work among researchers and practitioners who share more-than-human concerns.