Leadership
I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; and an External Examiner for BA and MA programmes (currently at London College of Communication; and Ravensbourne). I have experience leading teams at BA (L6 Graphic Design); MA (Sustainable Design); and department-level (Acting Head of Department, 3D Design). I mentor several colleagues, through HEA and University schemes, and I find the role to be hugely rewarding and immensely valuable to the development of my own practice.
For several years I led the Graphic Design department’s Green Impact team – a United Nations scheme recognising environmentally and socially sustainable practice in organisations. In this role I developed, identified, and supported best practice in ESD within the department; achieving a gold accreditation two years running, and 3 individual project awards. I am also an active member of the University’s Sustainability Network, and have contributed to a number of conferences in this area of pedagogy.
I have forged many fruitful relationships with KU colleagues including Enterprise, HackCentre, Business School, Geography, Health & Social Care; a considerable number of external partnerships including The Community Brain, Kingston Hive, Makerversity; and numerous professional design studios. These relationships have enriched the BA Graphic Design and MA Sustainable Design course curriculums, and explicitly supported the implementation of the University’s Future Skills strategy. I have found this work – collaborating with colleagues who bring diverse perspectives to the conversation – to be both incredibly enjoyable, and extremely effective, when considering how to embed ecologically responsible practice into HE communities and curricula in ways that are appropriate and meaningful.
Education for Sustainable Development
Over the last few years I have contributed to Kingston’s university-wide Sustainability Strategy; and successfully embedded Education for Sustainable Development within the Graphic Design department by leading a staff team to translate that strategy in effective ways that are appropriate for creative practice. This work has been shared at Staff Development and Festival of Learning events; recognised through awards (including an Education for Sustainable Development Bursary); and published within Kingston’s Education for Sustainability Toolkit. More recently I have thoroughly enjoyed contributing to the design and validation of a new course within the 3D Design department (BA 3D Design Innovation) which received commendation for its ‘focus on innovation as transformation of students into responsible designers that can challenge conventions and shape sustainable futures.’
I am passionate about the immense value design and creativity can bring to both people and planet, and therefore the great emphasis that should be placed on ‘designing with care’. Creativity has both a Footprint and a Brainprint – it has the power to engage, enlighten, inspire, inform, delight and mobilise audiences. It helps us tell stories, deliver messages, and imagine alternative futures. It can be used to challenge preconceptions and provoke new ways of thinking. We should therefore consider how we can support students in thinking critically about what the roles and responsibilities of creative practitioners should [and perhaps shouldn’t] be when it comes to climate action and the broader ecological, social and economic challenges of the contemporary sustainability agenda. I also feel there is great potential for Arts Universities to create opportunities for life-long-learning within the Creative Industries, particularly regarding the Green Design Skills Gap identified recently by the Design Council. In response to this I am currently exploring an executive short courses offer for professional designers to raise their Sustainability Literacy.
As part of my work at Kingston I developed a curriculum pathway that explored how graphic design can contribute narratives, critiques and innovations to societal questions and challenges. Empathy and a care towards others – both in objectives and in design methods – underpinned the approach and positioning. This community of practice investigated notions of Sustainability, through a programme of curated research opportunities and design workshops. Students were encouraged to bring their personal interests and experiences to their creative work in order to explore aspects of sustainability that resonate with them most – becoming Citizen Designers.
The work I have undertaken with my students has led to some fantastic successes that demonstrate how creative practice can initiate ambitious visions of a more sustainable, inclusive and equitable society. These include RSA and Creative Conscience Awards, projects featured at the London Student Sustainability Conference and the formation of several student start-ups.
Employability and Future Skills
In 2017, I launched a Graphic Design Incubator within the BA course at Kingston, which helped realise the environmental, social, and economic potential of students' projects. Essentially getting ideas inside KSA out into the world and kickstarting creative businesses. It led to considerable student successes, including RSA and Creative Conscience Awards; a number of student start-ups; and perhaps most notably Chip[s] Labs (formerly Chip[s]Board) – a graduate start-up dedicated to finding value in waste. As an evolution of Incubator, and in response to my 2021 SADRAS research project and the University's Future Skill's agenda, I developed HATCH – a programme of professional practice insights, workshops and guidance, that is accessed by L4–L7 Graphic Design students, and prepares them for their future career.
Most recently I initiated and led the development of a new annual award for Design School students. Makerversity will offer 3 students graduating from the Design School a 6-month Residency at their creative workspace and innovation hub at Somerset House. The award will provide the recipients with access to space, facilities, and a support network to further develop projects they have started during their time at Kingston – with the ambition of taking their projects to new audiences and exploring opportunities for commercialisation or funding.
Qualifications
- FHEA Fellow, Higher Education Academy
- SOS-UK Green Impact Gold Award (Academic)
Course director
Courses taught
