SMART Thinking (AKA Guy Dewsbury) is a website about designing appropriate acceptable technological solutions for disabled or older people which meet their unique specific needs. Currently SMART Thinking is working for London Borough of Barnet and previously worked for the Computing Department at Lancaster University where he was undertaking research into two EPSRC projects EQUATOR and DIRC as well as a Microsoft Research UK project and Xerox projects. The DIRC project is specifically concerned with the appropriate dependable technology to meet needs of older and disabled people.

SMART Thinking is also working closely with health consortiums in developing strategies for technology in homes within the care field as well as designing forty smart home installations in the Aberdeen area for a health consortium. Current sites and associations include Carnforth Age Concern, Barrow in Furness Age Concern, The North West Development Agency, Dundee Social Work Department, MHA Care Group Penrith, and Social Work and health care in Aberdeen, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank these group for their assistance in our work.

Designing for specific people requires new methods of investigation in order to ensure that real need is met with acceptable appropriate technological solutions. We currently have adopted an ethnomethodological approach to understanding need that is assisted by the use of cultural probes.

Picture of the Cultural probes

Cultural Probes were originally developed by Bill Gaver and we have adapted them successfully in our work. The probes consist of common items such as cameras, notebooks, diaries, sketchpads and tape recorders that enable people to give their own accounts of their life to research team. The also give the team something to talk with participants about, thus stimulate conversation. They are given with the minimum of instructions and there are no right or wrong ways of using the probes, whatever they produce is useful to team. You will find an number of papers describing our methods in the articles section as well as on the DIRC website (external link).

SMART Thinking was original born out of Guys work at RGU on the CUSTODIAN project where he designed two smart homes in Dundee, Scotland. The Consultancy exists within the University in order to provide and generate further research as well as to maintain an impartial stance on the up and coming technologies. Although it is clear through theses pages that the consultancy endorse the use of EIB technology the team understand that to be tied to one technology is not feasible in order to meet all needs and therefore use the most appropriate technology for each case, which in many cases is NO HIGH-END TECHNOLOGY.

SMART Thinking has worked with a number of people including Liz Sergeant (Director Sergeant Consulting, Scotland), Microsoft Research UK, Age Concern, MHA Care Group, Goldshield Security Services, Jeremy Linskell (EATS/TORT Ninewells Hospital, Dundee), Steve Bonner (Edinvar Housing, expert in smart home design and installation and installer of the most prestigious installations for people with disabilities in the UK), Colin Price (Ivory Egg), Peter Haseler (ABB), Robin Burley (Eskhill and Co) and a number of Academic personnel to name but a few of the important people who have assisted SMART Thinking .

Through the process of design and installation SMART Thinking experienced the positive and negative aspects of the design process, and developed the ability to design specified smart homes to meet the needs of a wide range of disabled people.