John A Kirkby
Creative Director, Design Futures Packaging
Summary
I am a creative designer and currently lead the packaging team at Sheffield Hallam University’s commercial design consultancy, Design Futures. The majority of my time is spent working on commercial design projects for a wide range of companies at local, national and international levels. My clients are typically major brand owners, retailers and packaging manufacturers. I support research and teaching within Sheffield Hallam and I am an active researcher specializing in packaging and its impact on both consumers and the environment. I am particularly interested in research work that involves creating new designs and studying the impact they have. I studied design as a student in both Leeds and Sheffield and held design jobs in the commercial sector before joining Sheffield Hallam.
About
I am a creative designer and currently lead the packaging team at Sheffield Hallam University’s commercial design consultancy, Design Futures. The majority of my time is spent working on commercial design projects for a wide range of companies at local, national and international levels.
My clients are typically major brand owners, retailers and packaging manufacturers. I support research and teaching within Sheffield Hallam and I am an active researcher specialising in packaging and its impact on both consumers and the environment. I am particularly interested in research work that involves creating new designs and studying the impact they have. I studied design as a student in both Leeds and Sheffield and held design jobs in the commercial sector before joining Sheffield Hallam.
In my role with Design Futures I have constructed an award winning packaging design team that is unique in the commercial sector, pulling together a range of experienced packaging professionals from industry to create a full packaging design service independent of manufacture.
My team won ‘Design Team of the Year at the 2015 and 2017 UK Packaging awards.
I have recently completed design projects for Marks and Spencer, Samworth Brothers, Bakkavor and Company of Animals providing packaging design expertise to supplement their in-house knowledge. Design Futures also supports SMEs and I have gained considerable experience over the last 15 years in advising smaller sized companies on the best way to approach and implement structural packaging and graphic design and branding into their business and the impact it can have.
Packaging design. The impact of packaging on the environment. The impact of packaging on the end user.
Packaging design. The impact of packaging on the environment. The impact of packaging on the end user.
Teaching
College of Business, Technology and Engineering
Design Futures – Packaging (commercial consultancy)
Research
The impact of FibreForm paper ties as a replacement for plastic tie solutions in packaging.
Publications
Other publications
Kirkby, J., Battle, S., & Macqueen, P. (2014). FibreForm Paper ties (Design). Marks and Spencer: http://www.shu.ac.uk/research/c3ri/news/new-ms-paper-ties-packaging-innovation-design-futures-0
Battle, S., Kirkby, J., & Macqueen, P. (n.d.). Little Helper : packaging design and process innovation. Little Helper: http://www.littlehelper.co.uk/Products/Furniture/FunPod-Kitchen-Safety-Stand-Mapl
Media
John is a trained packaging designer with a strong focus on user interaction with packaging. He is the creative director of the University's in-house design agency Design Futures, working closely with local and national companies on sustainable packaging and usability issues.