About

I'm a designer and design researcher at Lancaster University. My research is practice-led: I use Research through Design to make games, artefacts, workshops and interactive experiences that explore how people live with technology. As a Senior Research Associate on the UKRI-funded Design Research Works fellowship, I'm developing GenAI learning tools for primary schools and co-creating Shadowplay, a GenAI performance system shown at festivals and the V&A. My work also spans IoT repair and Creative Evaluation, the focus of my PhD. Alongside research I take on design commissions, bringing a mixed-media approach of illustration, textiles and collage to identities, reports and learning resources.

Publications, Public Speaking & Events

20262 items

Publication Book chapter

Game Changers: How Fan Activism Across Gaming Cultures Could Help Us Design More Sustainable Technologies

Owen, V. — In N. Jacobs (ed.), Bridging Design and Fandom (forthcoming)
Public speaking Paper presentation

Game Changers: How Fan Activism Across Gaming Cultures Could Help Us Design More Sustainable Technologies

British DiGRA 2026 (online)

20259 items

Publication Conference paper

Gameful IoT Repair

Owen, V., Stead, M. & Coulton, P. — DiGRA 2025
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Publication Work in progress

Design Heuristics for GenAI Educational Platforms

Owen, V., Parkman, S., Lindley, J. & Rubegni, E. — ACM Interaction Design and Children (IDC 2025)
Public speaking Paper presentation

Gameful IoT Repair

DiGRA 2025
Public speaking Paper presentation

Design Heuristics for GenAI Educational Platforms

IDC 2025, Reykjavík
Public speaking Stand Up

Lancaster Bright Club

The Borough
Event Exhibition

Shadowplay at the V&A

V&A Digital Design Weekend
Event Festival

Shadowplay in the Enchanted Woods

Shambala Festival
Event Workshop

Playful & ethical child-AI systems

IDC Conference
Event Launch

Repair Space Blackburn launch

Reel Cinema Blackburn

20248 items

Publication Journal article

Smarter Repair 2053

Coulton, P., Stead, M. & Owen, V. — The Design Journal
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Publication Provocation / WIP — Best Paper

Fostering IoT Repair Through Care: Learning from Emotionally Durable Gaming Practices and Communities

Owen, V., Stead, M. & Coulton, P. — ACM Designing Interactive Systems (DIS 2024)
Publication Conference paper

Travelling Arts x HCI Sketchbook: Exploring the Intersection Between Artistic Expression and Human-Computer Interaction

Sturdee, M. et al. (incl. Owen, V.) — CHI 2024 Extended Abstracts
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Publication Book chapter

FUSE and Co-Designing Tools for Discovery with Primary School Children and Teachers

Cruickshank, L., Potts, D., Brewster, L., Marsdin, N. & Owen, V. — Design for Education: Spaces and Tools for Learning (Routledge)
Publication Zine

What Might a More Sustainable Internet of Things Look Like?

Fixing the Future Collective — ICT4S 2024
Publication Conference paper

Design Practice Reimagined: New Fundamentals Through a Study of Co-Design and Practice-Based Doctoral Studies

Cruickshank, L., Brewster, L., Potts, D. & Owen, V. — European Academy of Design (EAD 2023)
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Event Exhibition

RepairLand

V&A Digital Design Weekend
Event Workshop

Creating Sustainable IoT Futures

DIS Conference

20232 items

Publication Conference paper

Shaping Social Design with Communities

ImaginationLancaster Social Design SIG (incl. Owen, V.) — IASDR 2023
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Publication Book

The Little Book of Creative Evaluation

Christou, E., Owen, V. & Ceyhan, P. — ImaginationLancaster
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20225 items

Publication Conference paper

Expanding Evaluation Design Towards the Biophysical Context

Christou, E., Owen, V. & Ceyhan, P. — Participatory Design Conference (PDC 2022)
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Publication Conference paper

Evaluating Social Innovations: How Creative Evaluation Can Help Articulate Their Values and Impacts

Owen, V., Ceyhan, P., Cruickshank, L. & Christou, E. — Design Research Society (DRS 2022)
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Publication Conference paper

Strategies and Tactics of Participatory Architecture

Calvo, M., Galabo, R., Owen, V., Cruickshank, L. & Sara, R. — Design Research Society (DRS 2022)
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Publication Poster

Creative Evaluation (poster)

Owen, V., Ceyhan, P., Christou, E. & Cruickshank, L. — UK Evaluation Society Conference 2022
Publication Poster

Creative Evaluation (poster)

Ceyhan, P., Christou, E. & Owen, V. — UK Creativity Researchers Conference 2022

20211 item

Publication Journal article

Concepts and Contexts of Creative Evaluation Approaches

Christou, E., Owen, V. & Ceyhan, P. — Journal of Multidisciplinary Evaluation
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Get in touch

Designer violetsareflowers@gmail.com Identities, illustration, reports, workbooks & workshop resources. Researcher r.v.owen@lancaster.ac.uk Collaborations, talks, or a chat about a shared interest.