BLOG [DOT] EXIOS IS THE ONLINE DESIGN BLOG OF BENJAMIN MASON, MRES INFORMATION ENVIRONMENTS STUDENT AT THE LONDON COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION.

Benjamin Mason is an interaction designer and researcher specialising in methods that integrate digital and physical elements to create socially engaging environments. Ben graduated from the University of Westminster with a first class honors degree in Graphic Information Design, and he is currently finishing his MRes in Information Environments at the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London.

Ben started his career as a freelance photographer, and has worked independently across Europe documenting conferences and political events, as well numerous other social events. Through this experience, Ben gained an appreciation for the complex relationships that occur between people in collective environments.

For his Masters Thesis, Ben is exploring collective engagement in urban environments, and has been developing an interactive system allowing visitors to control the physical dynamics of a space, as well as providing a means to generate social interactions with others.

Recently, Ben worked as an application designer and developer on the Twoler project – a University of Westminster initiative created to develop innovative web2.0 applications that encouraged and promoted student involvement in the university’s social and academic environments. Ben’s contribution to this project was the ‘Dynamic Library Catalogue’.

During August 2010, Ben participated in the ‘‘Informing the Design of the Future Urban Landscape‘‘ workshop at DIS2010, Aarhus, Denmark; which acted as a foundation for the formation of the Urban Interaction Design Network, which he is now an active member of.

On the 24th October, Ben will be making a soapbox presentation on “Environmental White Space: A Sociological Exploration of the Uses and Functions of Public Space in Business Environments” at This Is Not A Gateway‘s ‘Critical Cities 2010’ festival.

For more information please drop Ben an email:

ben [at] exios [dot] co [dot] uk