We develop products and services using new concepts and technologies through collaboration and co-production. Our focus is tackling social and environmental issues.
Recent projects range from creative history tech to AI-enabled glossary production.
Making History Together : Victorian Manchester
Visioning Lab has an ongoing Victorian Manchester programme, with interactive workshops, seminars and soundwalks that explore 100 years of Manchester history from 1810-1910 focusing on real people, places and events. Through this activity, we seek insight into how change happens.
Insects are the new Dinosaurs
with technologist Rob Black and photographer Francis Prior
Visioning Lab is co-developing with partners both a micro-scanning kit and original IP featuring insects. We want to inspire and enthuse a generation about the beauty of insects and how they are made so we are developing a transformative approach to viewing and studying them.
Collaboratorium
Visioning Lab developed a 3D virtual environment with a nature theme for academics at University of Manchester to collaborate virtually with colleagues across the world
The ‘Collabatorium’ was initially build in Mozilla Hubs during COVID19 to tackle travel restrictions and then became a regularly used 3D online space for academics to share work and provide a virtual conferences chillout area.
We recently developed a second version called ‘MindLab’ in FrameVR as the space was missed when Mozilla Hubs closed down. There are not many virtual spaces based on a nature theme for older, non-gamer, non-corporate people so this space is rare and valued.
Astrojacks Webtoon
Visioning Lab launched two webtoon series pilots, Astrojacks go back to war and Save the last plate for me.
Astrojacks draws on photographic material from the Manchester Library Archive of WW2.
These pilot episodes are story concepts for ‘webtoons’ (comics optimised for mobiles).
Webtoons are growing rapidly in popularity with a wide range of audiences, not just kids.
3D Flood Games project
Visioning Lab collaborated with flood experts and technologies to explore incorporating real-life flooding data into 3D game/world building environments. We are interested in how 3D virtual models can support flood stakeholder decision making AND provide learning about flood events as entertainment.
The Flood Innovation Panel in West Yorkshire and the Crompton Moor network (First Choice Homes / Oldham Council / City of Trees / Friends of Crompton Moor) were case studies on the project.
Augmented Reality (AR) experiences
Visioning Lab developed and launched PopupView, an augmented reality platform and app for aggregating and showing 3D digital assets and sound via phones and laptops. The platform focused on supporting creative producers to engage with the new technology and consider ways of inspiring people about nature, birds and animals.
NFT Collection
Visioning Lab launched a NFT series on Known Origin, a popular digital art NFT platform to understand and engage with the emerging potential of cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies.
Artist collaborations: Speak to me, Speke Hall / Folklore trails at Chorlton Arts Festival
Visioning Lab collaborates with artists using new concepts and technologies to develop their work.
Above Peter Kalu combined performance art, photography and song to draw attention to slave trade connections using an augmented reality app.
Below Hannah Mosley explored ways of sharing folklore stories through soundwalks and augmented reality.
Vision for <Country> Energy
Visioning Lab is engaged with multiple government, NGO, academic and private sector stakeholders in the UK to explore what a vision for UK energy would look like and how to connect together the many different parts of UK energy service provision and management.
We are also working on multilingual energy specialist glossaries (in Korean, Chinese, German especially) for different teams and projects.
UK Case Study: An overarching view and vision of how energy moves through the UK provides the basis upon which communication can be facilitated and solutions developed. A UK-defined modern conceptual model of a country’s energy infrastructure incorporating net zero and energy security aspirations alongside an eco-system of service suppliers and product providers also creates an opportunity for UK plc to lead internationally.
Ontology Maker
Words are like nails, they pin systems and process together
Ontology Maker is a tool for tackling miscommunication using generative AI tools to develop glossaries, taxonomies and ontologies (word libraries) that improve team-working and system development.
Activities include:
- Metaverse ontology : making a glossary to support the sectors converging around the ‘metaverse’ such as gaming, AR/VR, immersive, digital twins and the built environment, , robotics, IoT and drone/UAV development engaging with ITU, ISO, Metaverse Standards Forum and the British Standards Institute (BSI).
- Energy ontology: working with key stakeholders and decision makers in the energy sector on developing a shared language. Eg. making a multilingual automotive battery energy glossary to support industry integration with the new EU Digital Passport directive. Eg. Convening workshop aggregating existing UK energy ontologies
- Disaster ontology : a glossary to support the use of disaster terminology particularly in the development of 3D environments and other simulations spaces with an initial focus on flooding. This builds on our Flood Games Initiative where we explored how to connect flooding and 3D specialists to effectively simulate real-world disasters.
- Relationship ontology : what if love was the new paradigm for modern society? How a relationship ontology could ground people’s physical and emotional needs in systems that support social and environmental solutions.
FutureLAB
Visioning Lab run futures thinking workshops and projects aimed at stimulating the imagination to ask what is next, who is shaping it, how can under-represented groups play a role?