On 06 - 07 November the next DeSForM workshop will take place at the Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach am Main / Germany. The actual debate about Design & Research shows that there is a need for more and detailed knowledge about the disciplinary aspects of design. Inter-, trans- and even multidisciplinary discourses are necessary, because today Design is at the same eye level as other scientific disciplines. But design today has its own objects, goals and methods. We are looking for contribution (papers, posters, projects, products) which can give progress to this movement.

Product Semantics and Product Language are fundamental for design as a discipline. The HfG Offenbach, as an important centre of product language, is looking forward to hosting the next DeSForM workshop. Since the 1970's knowledge about Design has been developed continuously - the "Theory of Product Language" is widely recognized as an important disciplinary kernel of Product Design and Design Research.

For the 2008 workshop at the HfG Offenbach researchers and practioners are particularly welcome. Submission of Abstracts will be accepted by May 2008. Moreover, papers devoted to the following topics are encouraged:
- Experimentation-based, practice-based, empirical/explorative and evidence based submissions
- Demonstrations of the semantic values of products
- Practitioners to present their design solutions in the field of product language and product semantics
- Interpretation of products in their cultural context
- Serious debate of linguistics, ethnography and bodily expression. Globalization is not only a term but a real issue for design concerning human product interaction which is still an important focus of Design & Research.

And last but not least we want to enable more students to attend. They have the chance to present and discuss their design concepts with experts from the fields of interactive product design, product semantics & product language.

Themes and Topics of DeSForM 4 will be:
Methods and Tools
- Active forms
- Theatre and choreography
- Sketching in space and time
- Aesthetics and notation of motion
- Editing and scripting of movements

Theoretical Developments
- Meaning and perception
- Conditions of applicability
- Ambient versus interactive movement
- Structuring mechanisms and linguistics
- Gestalt theory and compositionality of meaning

Practice-based Research and Case Studies Using Movement as a Mediator
- Appropriation of the everyday
- Effects of context on meanings
- New typologies and ecologies of objects
- Dependencies between form and movement

Program Committee
- Prof. Bernhard E. Bürdek (Chair - Academy of Art, Design & Media Offenbach am Main, Germany)
- Prof. Lin-Lin Chen, Ph.D. (National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan)
- Prof. Loe Feijs, Ph.D. (Technical University Eindhoven, The Netherlands)
- Prof. Dr. Martina Hessler (Academy of Art, Design & Media Offenbach am Main, Germany)
- Prof. Steven Kyffin (Philips Design, Eindhoven, The Netherlands)
- Prof. Bob Young (Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Great Britain)

Timeline
16 May 2008: Submission of Abstracts
13 June 2008: Advice on Feasibility of Abstracts
01 August 2008: Submission of Full Papers
15 September 2008: Notification of Accepted Papers
01 October 2008: Deadline for Inclusion in Proceedings
06 - 07 Novermber 2008: Conference