A selection of research projects developed at the Glasgow School of Art and when working as a design researcher at the Digital Health Institute and at The School of Innovation in Glasgow.

1. DANIELA QUACINELLA
DESIGN RESEARCH PORTFOLIO

2. I AM AN INNOVATION DESIGN RESEARCHER
AND EDUCATOR WITH A BACKGROUND IN
ARTS, CULTURE & ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
I USE INSIGHTS FROM RESEARCH TO DRIVE
INNOVATION AND IMPLEMENT USER-CENTRED AND
EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES, EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMMES & SERVICES WITH POSITIVE SOCIAL
IMPACT
I APPLY ETHNOGRAPHIC AND BESPOKE
DESIGN RESEARCH METHODS TO
UNDERSTAND COMPLEX SYSTEMS AND
PEOPLE’S REAL NEEDS AND DESIRES
I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT ENGAGING
COMMUNITIES TO FIND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
TO COMPLEX CHALLENGES TOGETHER,
HARNESSING COLLABORATION AND THE
COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE OF PEOPLE AND
ORGANIZATIONS

3. COLLABORATIVE FUTURES
The Royal Bank of Scotland, The Glasgow School of Art
(16 weeks)
An exploration of the future of finance and the bank’s future
customers. It brings together research and speculation to
deliver evidenced and actionable design recommendations.

4. Researching emerging trends to design for future users
Leading a diverse and multidisciplinary student team, I conducted research on emerging trends and how
these might relate to people’s attitudes and behaviours towards banking in 2030.

5. Making research tangible
To communicate our research insights, we created future personas, future scenarios and a set of
speculative banking experiences that we tested with users.

6. PESTLE FUTURE
TREND CARDS

7. Translating research in visual tools and design directions
We translated our findings into credible design directions, as well as into a set of design tools: a 2030
world scenario, future personas, PESTLE future trend cards and speculative future products & services.
These are used by The Royal Bank of Scotland to further investigate future needs of users and to embed a
user-driven design process in the company.

8. I developed a series of co-design labs and
applied creative participatory research
methods to understand users’ needs and
experiences and translate insights into tangible
design direction for human-centred digital
health services and products. I was involved in
three different research projects:
• THE MODERN OUTPATIENT
• EVALUATING EXPERIENCE LAB
• A CREATIVE FUTURE FOR CARE AT HOME
THE GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART |
DIGITAL HEALTH INSTITUTE

9. A person-centred vision of care for people living with
multiple long-term conditions for the modern
outpatient programme
Research Report:
https://futurehealthandwellbeing.org/modern-
outpatients
THE MODERN OUTPATIENT

10. A CREATIVE FUTURE FOR CARE AT HOME
Research report:
https://futurehealthandwellbeing.org/future-of-care-at-
home

13. EVALUATING EXPERIENCE LAB:
Research Report:
https://futurehealthandwellbeing.org/
learning-based-innovation
Evaluating design-led approaches to
research and innovation

14. Design for Island Life: Innovation at the Edge
BIKE HUB: a place for community-based
sharing and collaborative projects
The Glasgow School of Art: M.Des, 12 weeks

15. A 12 weeks design-led research
exploring the experience of young
people living in the rural island of Barra
to identify design opportunities to
improve their experience of the place.
It pioneers a new form of co- design
practice, moving beyond the walls of
the studio and into the lives and
communities on the Outer Hebrides.
Design for Island Life:
Innovation at the Edge
The Glasgow School of Art: M.Des
12 weeks

16. Fieldwork in Barra’s
Island
As part of a multidisciplinary team, I conducted ethnographic research and
engaged young people and other stakeholders in the island through different
qualitative research methods and creative design research tools to understand
their needs and experience and capture research insights. We also did
extensive desk research on environmental studies and well-being factors in
young people.

18. Based on insights from research, we proposed Bike
Hub, a peer-led project that leverages the
popularity of cycling among young people in the
island to provide a shelter and shared space for
collaboration. By tapping into the positive effects of
DIY skills and makerspaces on well-being, Bike Hub
empowers young people to develop new
competencies and create new ideas through
collaborative projects. The project creates a circuit
of different hubs and bike shelters across the
island, connecting young people with a wider
network of individuals in the maker and cycling
culture. It also becomes a unique element of
Barra’s identity attracting outsiders and other
organizations, breaking the sense of isolation and
geographical distance experienced by the
community of Barra. This design concept is the
result of close collaboration with Hebrideans on
Barra and of using co-design to identify
opportunities that might be of interest and value to
the islands. We were selected to present our work
to Highland and Island Enterprise and in a touring
exhibition around the Hebridean islands.

19. GARNETHILL URBAN OASIS
Re-imagining urban spaces with
temporary creative intervention
The Glasgow School of Art: M.Des, 12 weeks

22. Garnethill: “an urban village” on top of the highest hill in Glasgow

24. PLACE: MAPPING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
I did research in Garnethill taking photographs with a similar attitude of an ethnographer which allowed
me to relate to the place with new eyes and identify areas neglected and not very visible. I mapped lanes,
front gardens and back gardens, houses’ door, unused and neglected spots of green and graffiti.

28. DEFINING THE DESIGN
RESEARCH QUESTION:
How to encourage more
awareness of Garnethill
environment that facilitates
dialogue between users and
residents?

33. Participatory nature: people were invited in the process of co-designing the space

34. Outdoor exhibition of Garnethill:
old and new photos to share the knowledge of the area