Biography

I graduated from Camberwell College of Arts with a BA (Hons) Graphic Design. I began my career at The Collage Shop, a London studio operating under the then pioneering commercial semiotics research company Semiotic Solutions in the late 90s. Here, I undertook image research and the generation of research stimulus material for research, branding and advertising agencies, such as Interbrand, BBH, JWT and many more. My professional experience continued in web design, graphic design, and imagery for early mobile devices.

Gaining an MSc in Information Systems and a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, I now combine varied approaches with which to teach design students the necessary skills required to enable them to progress their creative concepts through to production and apply their technical knowledge in a professional manner to industry standard.

Departmental Roles -

• Course Overview Timetabler for BA (Hons) Graphic Design, ensuring the effective and efficient use of space to deliver a specialist curriculum of blended learning.

• Induction Coordinator for the School of Art and Design, with responsibility for liaising with many university staff and services to implement a comprehensive induction programme supporting new and returning students.

• Student Voice Coordinator for the School of Art and Design with responsibility for liaising with university staff, students, and services to ensure support and implementation of student voice policies.

Teaching Responsibilities -

• Level 4 Coordinator for BA (Hons) Graphic Design with responsibility for the year group overview and organisation of PDP and personal tutorial provision.

• Delivering seminars, workshops, lectures and tutorials on multiple units across the undergraduate BA (Hons) Graphic Design course, with an emphasis on screen based media, design thinking and ethical design.

• Unit coordinator and tutor for the unit Introduction to Graphic Design. This unit looks at the historical, contemporary and cultural context of Graphic Design. We debate what Graphic Design is and what it is for. Students work in teams to create their relevant design outcome and are inducted in IT, library and research practices.

• Unit coordinator and tutor for the unit Ethical Design. Students look at the responsibilities of the designer, design authorship, sustainability and ethics within a cultural context and produce a personally determined visual outcome that communicates their findings.

• Unit tutor for the Level 4 unit Screen Design:Motion Graphics - This unit introduces design principles for motion graphic sequences.

• Unit tutor for the Level 4 unit Research Informed Design Thinking -  Topics include - Communication Theory, Design Research, Design Thinking, and Design Processes.

• Unit tutor for the Level 5 unit Screen Design:Interactive Design - The unit extends knowledge of historical and evolving contemporary contexts in interactive design / media products to facilitate the communication of the research findings in a content-driven, context specific solution. 

• Unit tutor for the Level 6 unit Promotion and Employability - This unit helps students to design and write their CV, apply for jobs and produce self-promotion items including business cards, letterheads, printed and online portfolios.

• Unit tutor for the Level 6 unit Major Project in Graphic Design – Research and Development
• Unit tutor for the Level 6 unit Major Project in Graphic Design – Resolution - These two units provide students with the opportunity to select an area of study of their choice, conduct substantial research into it and transform and resolve this research into a successfully designed outcome.

Research interests

My research interests have previously included the use of online learning environments and interactive technology to develop a rich learning experience for students within design education. For five years being responsible for the build and implementation of an IT Resource website for the School of Art and Design, incorporating interactive Flash tutorials for Adobe products, alongside delivering the software teaching across the department.

Other interests are the ethical responsibilities of graphic design and media within culture and society. As well as teaching and learning within Graphic Design, with consideration of the connections between effective learning approaches and self esteem.