Consulting

My consultancy practice ranges from commercial projects to academic roles.

In my commercial practice, I consult as a qualitative research director, cultural semiotician, and trends forecaster for clients including Baxter, Pfizer, Bang & Olufsen, Ikea, Vertu, GSK and Argent Related. For details on the type of research I have conducted, please see Researching.

In my academic practice, I have worked as an external examiner and invited critic as well as a guest expert on design, culture and technology topics for radio.

I have been a guest expert on Alek Krotoski’s wonderful BBC Radio4 show, The Digital Human, for an episode on the relationship between technology and magic; a panelist for the annual conference of the advertising industry, Advertising Week Europe, speaking about augmented creativity; and was the guest speaker of Slime Radio Hour, on Montez Press Radio.

I have reviewed articles for Journal of Visual Culture, Journal of Design History and Design and Technology Education: An International Journal, and reviewed book proposals for Bloomsbury and Routledge. I have worked as a reviewer for Ofqual, the UK’s Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation, on the GCE A-Level Design & Technology; and I was an invited critic on the MA Architecture programme at the Royal College of Art. I have also served as the external examiner at UAL’s London College of Fashion, for the School of Design & Technology.

I come from a commercial background in publishing, advertising and marketing. I have drawn on this experience to help found the International Association for Visual Culture Studies; and founded and ran a design and branding agency working for political organisations and NGOs. In my early professional life, I was part of the Jubilee2000 team which led the campaign for the cancellation of third world debt; and I worked as a researcher for a politician during the 1997 UK General Election.