What first gave you the idea for the Om'nium project?

Going to too many dull and boring education conferences where everyone thinks they are doing a great job and all they are doing is getting more and more out of touch with the 'new' student. It really riles me how alienated higher education has become (in design) from the students and the professional setting.

Did you find inadequecies in the typical college design education system? or do you see Omnium as an enhancement rather than a replacement for a design college education?

Yes, Om'nium is an alternative not a replacement. It tries to identify a way of bringing students a type of contemporary education that they often demand. The current sytems do not suit many students. Every college in the world is talking about offering on-line courses and here is the key point about Om'nium.... we are not offering what we currently do via the internet but trying out internet based learning so we can observe and then model courses to suit the way students use the internet. Old systems can not be pushed into new technologies. It just doesn't work. We must take time to research this new mode of delivery but most people are making the greatest mistake which is speed speed speed to get the enrolment dollars...wrong!

You have said that Om'nium is not a distance learning project as such - but do you feel that it holds great promise as a structure for other creative areas such as creative writing or even the fine arts? Especially for those who can't gain access to a college?

Absolutely. In fact, the original idea for Om'nium '99 was to get groups of designers including graphics, architects, new media etc. but also dancers, musicians, poets, fashion students... all creatives, and see what went on when they went on-line together. I would love to see a piece of dance that was created across five countries via the internet. Could it be done? yes, of course. The designers would just have to think of newer ways to communicate, which is good.

The next project may involve this sort of thing more. I am interested in merging screen based design with physically built design, and that could well be a piece of music or a choreographed dance.

The project has been working since the end of July I believe - how have things been going? have there been any unanticipated difficulties/ benefits ? - in co-ordination, language barriers, time zone barriers, etc.,

yes...loads, but then I always knew there would be. We did succeed though in a massive way in doing something other people had only talked about doing. There is so much hype about this on-line learning stuff but they can now learn from what we did. It is there for all to see. Ee are not precious. We want to tell all and let this become the norm. problems? time zones a bit, but mostly producing such a mammoth project with no money and little support. Everything being done on favours and a few too many egos flying around. Once the actual project got started it was fine. But then I did my homework and counted on a few things which paid off. I reckon my design for the brief was the key and that took a long time to conceive. It was fun but I spoke to many people about it until finally I ran it past John Warwicker and he gave me the confidence to do it in the way I did. I am impressed with my talks with him. TOMATO get tough press sometimes, but when you get down to it their simplicity of what they are about is really refreshing and easy. they still do really believe in what they do and are committed to process. This is vital at college level. Forget the finished resolved commercial stuff, process is what students should be developing.

Design is all about communication. Do you think the internet focuses designers more on this or at least makes them more aware of it?

Yes, its good as long as the technology falls into the background. This is what Om'nium really tried to do and I think by offering the 'interface' we achieved this after an initial couple of weeks. The internet has such a lot of crap on it in terms of presented content that when you come across something considered it is a joy to navigate through. Some of the big sites run by banks and computer companies have terrible sites, all you do is get caught up with sifting your way through them, and then give up. So web designers are becoming more aware of this and communicating better. Again we have to think up how to communicate on the web.

After all, the web has different qualities than face to face communication. They cannot be compared because they are different. It is like people who come from Europe to Australia and moan that Christmas does not have same atmosphere...of cause it doesn't, it's bloody 40c most days! It should not be compared.

Do you feel there is a global language of design?

Tricky one.... perhaps, but I do not know if this is a good thing. I like individuality and if we all became the same then... but I suppose we are all being exposed to more of the same stuff via the web and MTV etc., so influences are more likely to be shared. I hope there is always a cultural difference in people and this should then flavour any work including design.

Do you think you will find as the project continues that certain cultures are more design aware than others? or that messages of design can be missinterpreted by other cultures?

They all found it really easy although some cultures were far more experimental and conceptual than others. I think this is a well known fact though, and to be expected. It really depends on the individual. Designers in places like the UK are very creative and take risks. Australia is not too bad, but a bit far away from the scene and obviously America throws up a few innovators now and again. I think the UK is a real world leader in creativity, ranging from art through to music, film/TV, design, dance, writing, industry...etc. Pity its so bad at sport...!

Do you think we will ever see a virtual design company that operates on a system similar to Om'nium? With both global designers and global clients? What do you think the future holds?

I hope so, and I would like to be involved because thats one of the potential applications of the concept. I think to an extent this already happens though, but the whole notion of collaboration should be encouraged more. This idea is one where I see Om'nium definately going. I would love to set up a consultancy that does a whole range of things with a whole range of clients but uses the richness of differences instead of trying to be so competitive all the time.

How have the tutors found assessing students that they have never met? and has the internet proved be a barrier as well as an aid in communication?

No barrier, just a bit tricky in assessing what was clearly in the end a graphic project. This could be improved when more people have access to more programs. I think there was an uncanny similarity between what the tutors told students which was good seeing as though they were all chosen out of different design specialities.

As technology and bandwith improves do you think many of these barriers will be easier to overcome?

yes I think they will.

If there was one internet barrier you could aleviate what would it be?



One barrier we found was platform differences. If only the whole world would use Mac... only joking! Really I think the only hinderence was that not all the participants had the same applications. If they did then the work would have included more sound and movie files. In the next project we may set equipment needed to push past simply photoshoppery being performed. But then thats the state we are at. That wiil change for sure...

Check out the Om'nium [vds] project atwww.omnium.unsw.edu.au

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