Royaldesigners

This comes at a moment of renewal for me, so excited to share in so many different perspectives and, where useful, contribute what I've done (on-demand supply chains, fashion, manufacturing), what I'm thinking of doing next (climate action, agriculture, technology) or what mistakes I made along the way!

An educator, frequent maker and occasional writer

Roc H Biel, a Spanish designer based in London, blends industrial language with futuristic visions to create not just objects, but experiences that inspire and amaze.

Following an early career in industrial automation, design consultancy and software product development, I am now Professor of Interdisciplinary Design in the University of Cambridge Department of Science and Technology.

Kate Blee was born in London, and studied at Edinburgh College of Art between 1980 and 1984. She lives and works in London. Her paintings onto textiles are internationally known through exhibitions, installations and commissions. Her designs have been translated into rugs and tapestries, screen print, and weave fabrics and wallpaper. She has been Lead Artist for public buildings both for installations, colour work and art-commissioning. She is a passionate materialist and colourist, working in clay and timber, as well as onto paper and cloth. Her work has a close relationship and reference to domestic life and site specificity. It is robust, tactile and active; and challenges the idea that the art-work and the viewer should be separated. In 2015 she was awarded Royal Designer for Industry by the Royal Society of Arts. She is currently the Welcome Space artist for the new 3Ts hospital in Brighton now in construction, and developing a new body of studio work in clay, cloth and on paper.

In my work I am thinking about how can we harness our unique potential as engineers (and other humans) to create thriving through our work

Meet Shaun, a human performance specialist focused on unlocking sustainable human potential through the mind-body connection, science-backed strategies, and ecosystem thinking

Royal Designers Faculty Manager, design archivist and artist-ceramicist

Xenia Busalova is an innovator from the InnovationRCA at the Royal College of Art and the founder of FARPHORIA - a creative brand that produces one-of-a-kind jewellery from porcelain and real plants

Dinah Casson set up her design practice in 1970, and her partnership with Roger Mann in 1984 – forming Casson Mann. Since 1992, Casson Mann has focused most of its work on the design of museums and exhibitions. These have ranged from the object-based British Galleries at the V&A, and the Great North Museum in Newcastle, through to the highly technological Churchill War Rooms at the Imperial War Museum. Recent projects include the Nelson Navy Nation gallery at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, and Bordeaux’s wine museum, La Cité du Vin. Casson Mann’s work has won numerous awards. Dinah was Master Elect of the Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry from 2013-15. Since the 1970s, she has taught at design schools such as Kingston University and the Royal College of Art. 

I design sustainable fashion for future space travellers, drawing on my Indian heritage to create innovative garments that blend style, safety, and functionality for life on Mars

TJ is an industrial designer currently based in London who worked as graphic designer and interior designer in Shanghai, apart from design services, he engages in personal projects that reinterprets elements of design into societal subject matters

Wen Chen is a Taiwanese creative technologist and visual artist based in London, exploring the intersection of art, technology, and human experience through his experiential and computational art practice

Kim Colin was born in California where she earned a BA from UCLA and a MArch from SCI-Arc. She co-founded Industrial Facility with her partner Sam Hecht in 2002, bringing her architectural perspective to the practice of industrial design. Her work reflects both a meticulous attention to detail, and a thoughtful consideration of context; creating beauty out of utility. She develops projects for international companies including Herman Miller, Emeco, Novo Nordisk and Mattiazzi, which she and Sam art-direct. Her work has received six IF Gold Awards and is in permanent design collections including MoMA, the Centre Pompidou and the Design Museum, London. Kim has taught at the AA, the Royal College of Art and ÉCAL. Writing is an important part of her practice, where she clarifies a contextual narrative beyond the physical object. Industrial Facility’s first complete monograph was published in 2019 by Phaidon Press. 

Sebastian Cox is a furniture designer, maker and environmentalist based in South London. Sebastian founded his carbon-counting, forward-thinking, zero-waste workshop and design studio in 2010 on the principle that the past can be used to design and make the future.

He produces heirloom furniture, lighting and home accessories and collaborates with other material experts who share his vision for a regenerative material future.

Alex D’Souza is an industrial designer, founding his own studio and working predominantly in clean energy and climate tech.

A specialist in contemporary and 20th century art. In 2016 she founded the gallery DE LEÓN in Bath which is dedicated to showing contemporary art, working with emerging, as well as established, British and international artists and presenting existing and new work.

I am an interdisciplinary innovator and academic, founded the Service Design department at the Royal College and am now the academic leader for Sir Jony Ive’s and HM King Charles’s Terra Carta Design Lab.

Data-driven solutions designer for world-sustaining buildings

Anthony is University Professor of Design and Social Inquiry at Parsons / The New School in New York where he co-directs the Designed Realities Studio with Fiona Raby. He is also a partner in the design studio Dunne & Raby. Between 2005-2015 he was professor and head of Design Interactions at the Royal College of Art in London.

His practice with Fiona Raby uses design to explore how alternative values, belief systems and ideals can be made tangible through the design of everyday objects in ways that spark reflection on the kinds of worlds people wish to live in.

Dunne & Raby's work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Pompidou Centre in Paris, and the Design Museum in London, and is in several permanent collections including MoMA, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts (MAK). 

As a Junior Innovation Consultant at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Megan specialises in user-centred design, creativity, and prototyping to deliver one-of-a-kind healthcare solutions for the NHS, with the ultimate goal of saving lives.

Based in Copenhagen, Matteo Fogale specialises in furniture and product design, as well as interiors, installations, creative and strategic consultancy.

A structural engineer focused on using first principles-based design, advanced computational methods and digital fabrication to make your idea better, not worse

Charlotte Gilks is actively involved in London’s maker community, helping to curate Makerversity, a maker space in Somerset House, and support diverse voices in the industry, alongside running her own metalwork business.

I became a fire engineer by accident after graduating with a mechanical engineering degress, I’ve been in the role 4 years and love the variety and creativity.

I am an Associate Professor of Design Engineering at the University of Warwick, specialising in leading interdisciplinary teams, delivering transformational projects, and advancing sustainability through innovative design, education, and award-winning enterprise

Sam Hecht was born in London in 1969. He co-founded Industrial Facility with his partner Kim Colin in 2002. His designs reflect both a meticulous attention to detail, and a thoughtful consideration of context; creating beauty out of utility. He has developed production projects for companies ranging from MUJI and Issey Miyake, to Wästberg and Mattiazzi, where he acts as art-director. He has received six IF Gold Awards, and his work forms part of most significant permanent collections including MoMA, New York and the Centre Pompidou, Paris. He has taught at the Royal College of Art (where he graduated in 1993), and as visiting professor of Karlsruhe University. 2019 saw the publication by Phaidon of Industrial Facility’s first complete monograph.

Theo Hersey is a letterpress printer & designer, based at The Typography Workshop in South London

Sarah’s design work is driven by her passion and interest in today’s societal and ethical topics, currently focussing on inclusive design.

Having initially studied Natural Science, and worked in a range of cultures & contexts, I now support start-ups in the sustainability space – with a particular interest in human-centred design approaches

I’m an industrial designer based in London

Holistic systems thinker playing with materials, (re-) making and (human) nature

I am a research scientist working at the interface of tissue engineering and Immunology

An industrial designer and former engineer, currently launching a prop-tech startup's first product

Maison Magenta by Anastasia is the Fashion surgeon for your second skin, creating elusive, exclusive, ethical fashion whilst raising awareness for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Currently creating surfaces by handmade methods such as sewing, patchwork and working with any available material and fabrics

I design products, furniture and spaces that create familiar yet unconventional narratives

Director of stuff, producer of things, maker of objects and collector of materials

Interested in how we shape the built environment and how it, in turn, shapes us.

Tom Lloyd is an industrial designer and founding partner (with Luke Pearson RDI) of the London design studio Pearson Lloyd. Through design, Pearson Lloyd transform the way in which people use and experience public spaces and services, and delivers products that are relevant, efficient and beautiful. The studio offers design services and strategic thinking in environments that have demanding spatial, ergonomic and social needs, such as transport, workplace, healthcare and cities. Working with a range of international clients, Pearson Lloyd prides itself on developing long-term relationships with clients including consumer brands, manufacturers and the public sector. Key clients include Lufthansa, The City of Bath, InterContinental Hotels, The Department of Health, Bene, TAKT and Joseph Joseph. Tom trained in Furniture Design at Trent Polytechnic, (BA Hons 1991, 1stClass) before completing a master’s degree MA (RCA Distinction) in Industrial Design at the Royal College of Art in 1993. In 1993 he joined Pentagram in London working with Daniel Weil, before founding Pearson Lloyd with Luke in 1997. Tom was awarded the distinction of Royal Designer for Industry by The Royal Society of Arts in 2008.

I help organisations to articulate how and why they do what they do.

Matt Malpass is a designer and theorist based in London. He is a Reader in Critical Design at UAL: Central Saint Martins where he leads the Industrial Design Programme. He is author of Critical Design in Context: History Theory and Practices

I’m passionate about accelerating sustainable finance for a better world, connecting people, and outside of work I spend my time tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis in mountain regions

I use methods like future foresight and speculative design among others to explore industrial and critical futures. My expertise in future studies and innovation management helps me analyse trends, anticipate signals, and create forward-thinking frameworks that drive change.

Weaving webs of stories through theory and practice

I'm a PhD design researcher and social entrepreneur on a mission to make the world more meaningful, through the design of better conversations and human connection

My professional background is in urban regeneration and complex major projects, with a passion for sustainability. These days I’m a non-executive director doing interesting things with interesting people - public, private and charitable

I am a cross-disciplinary female designer relocated to London from Ukraine and the co-founder of Otog Studio, working with brands and clients in the creative industry

Creativity is my daily coffee!

Charlie Paton is a product developer, maker, designer and forester. His early success was the invention and development of motorised lighting for theatre, TV and concerts. For the past twenty years, he has been developing his Seawater Greenhouse concept, designed to produce food and water on barren land, in hot and arid coastal regions. It harnesses sunlight and seawater in a unique and inspired way, to create a virtuous cycle that produces fresh food and fresh water, in locations where shortages of both are a significant problem. Charlie has designed and built projects in five locations around the world; simple and elegant it is potentially life-changing for huge numbers of people living in deprived coastal regions. The design has received many awards; most recently the national winner of the 2018 Shell Springboard Award for low-carbon design.

Charlie Paton is a product developer, maker, designer and forester. His early success was the invention and development of motorised lighting for theatre, TV and concerts. For the past twenty years, he has been developing his Seawater Greenhouse concept, designed to produce food and water on barren land, in hot and arid coastal regions. It harnesses sunlight and seawater in a unique and inspired way, to create a virtuous cycle that produces fresh food and fresh water, in locations where shortages of both are a significant problem. Charlie has designed and built projects in five locations around the world; simple and elegant it is potentially life-changing for huge numbers of people living in deprived coastal regions. The design has received many awards; most recently the national winner of the 2018 Shell Springboard Award for low-carbon design.

Jason is a designer and craftsman specialising in environmentally conscious design

Danielle is an interdisciplinary designer, researcher and educator interested in material culture, technology and the circular economy. She is Head of Research and Development at the UCL Institute of Making and the UCL Plastic Waste Innovation Hub.

Fiona Raby is partner in the design studio Dunne & Raby. She is co-director of the Design Realities Studio with Anthony Dunne and University Professor of Design and Social Inquiry at the New School NYC. She was Chair and Professor of Industrial Design (ID2) at Universität für angewandte Kunst in Vienna between 2011-2015 and a Reader in Design Interactions at the Royal College of Art, London. At the RCA between 1995-2015 she led an architectural unit (ADS04) for 13 years and taught both in Computer Related Design and Design Interactions.

She is co-author of ‘Design Noir: The Secret Life of Electronic Objects’ (2001, 2021). and 'Speculative Everything: Design, Fiction and Social Dreaming’ (2013).

Dunne & Raby’s work has been exhibited at MoMA in New York, the Pompidou Centre in Paris, the Design Museum in London, and is in several permanent collections including MoMA and the V&A.

I’m a German Service Designer with industrial design background, currently working in policy and innovation.

I am a highly motivated structural test engineer who loves working with the future in mind and helping to bring new and innovative solutions to life in the aerospace industry. Outside of work I am a Hoka Racer who loves running and competing in marathons!

Tom Robinson is a London-based designer, creating products and furniture, for local and international clients

An Indian-born, London-based designer who loves to blend technology and design to create experiences that explore space and immersive realities.

Reianna Shakil is a designer, maker, UKRI Young Innovator Winner, design education advocate, champion of fellow neurodivergent creatives, a dessert fiend and the founder of Studio ZRX, residing in North Kensington, London. She dabbles between furniture, product, object, and the odd biomaterial concept. Innately inquisitive by nature, Reianna finds joy in making the ‘everyday' more accessible, incorporating sustainable design and circular economy principles, and starting conversations through design.

I am a founding Director of Mitre & Mondays and my motivating force is that design should present a future for everyone, proving you can offer solutions to the social and environmental challenges of the day, whilst inspiring curiosity and excitement

Scottish, design engineer currently based in London working for the material science start-up Amphico and I am passionate about new materials, the machines required to produce them and lunch

Dr Nazli Terzioglu is a tutor at the Royal College of Art, currently teaching in MDes Design Futures programme. Her research areas are product repair, design for the circular economy, co-design and futures design.

Natasha is an award-winning international Equalities Designer and researcher whose practice explores extending the frontiers of knowledge around mental difference (including acquired neurodivergence), non-typical bodyminds, ways of being and marginalised experiences

Chris Wise graduated from the University of Southampton with a degree in Civil engineering. He co-founded Expedition in 1999. Working with many of the world’s leading architects including Rogers, Foster, Hopkins and Renzo Piano, Chris has led the engineering of projects including the 2012 Olympic Velodrome; the American Air Museum, Duxford; London Millennium Bridge; and Channel 4 HQ. Chris was Design Professor at Imperial College, London, where he co-founded the Constructionarium, later at Yale, and since September 2012, at UCL, London. From 2007-09 Chris was Master Elect of the Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and an Honorary Fellow of the RIBA. In October 2012 he was awarded an unprecedented double, winning Gold Medals for his outstanding contribution to the engineering profession from both the IStructE and the ICE.