I am active in the areas of interaction design, product aesthetics and innovative design teams, and have led EPSRC, AHRC, and Carnegie Trust funded research projects. Prior to joining DMEM I worked as a product design engineer for a number of consultancies, and have continued to engage with industry through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and consultancy work since then.  I am currently Deputy Co-ordinator of a 14-partner European project, PRIME-VR2, on the use of virtual reality for rehabilitation. 

Project website: https://prime-vr2.eu/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8879498/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPjq7rUwjbCNuDbiWl0XK8w
Twitter https://twitter.com/primevr2

I am interested in exploring the underlying issues that drive product design and development. My research addresses the themes of product, process and people: the individual product experience in terms of user interaction; group collaboration in the design and delivery of products; and the sociological factors that drive product innovation and lead to commercial success. Exploration of these three levels of interchange covers the range of human experience in relation to artefacts and technological development, and lessons from each contribute to a range of design principles and practices that are physically, emotionally, and cognitively grounded. 

User experience: I have four PhD students whose topics include aesthetics, remote presence, movement-based product interaction and UCD for advanced manufacturing.  I collaborate with a colleague from Theatre Studies to use elements of dance and drama teaching in the exploration of movement in product interfaces.

Information support for designers:  I am PI on an EPSRC project investigating how patents can support innovative engineering design, having previously been involved in several research projects (DIDET, KIM) focussed on collaborative tools for design teams.  I have been involved in KTP projects with Hulley & Kirkwood Consulting Engineers and SI Associates on the implementation of Knowledge Management systems to support effective working.

Drivers of innovation: I am CI on an EPSRC/AHRC project investigating the relationship of humour constructs to creativity in the design process. I collaborate with a historian from Dundee University on the development and movement of design technology, in particular through the Victorian period. I have a continuing interest in the effect of culture and creativity as drivers of innovation and have published a number of papers on these topics.