About

I am the Design Director of Design Futures Product - a multi-disciplinary product design innovation group based within Sheffield Hallam University that develops novel, future-facing product designs.

I am a graduate of the Royal College of Art/Imperial College (MDes/DIC) and a Fellow of the RSA (Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) with over 25 years of experience in design practice.

I have designed and developed products, and managed NPD projects across consumer, digital, medical, FMCG, furniture and industrial sectors for diverse clients - from SMEs to major multinationals, including brands such as adidas, Gillette, JCB, Marks & Spencer, Umbro and Unilever.

My consultancy, KE and research activities inform teaching in eco-design principles, LCA, strategic design and design thinking. I led an undergraduate product design course at Sheffield Hallam, and I am a former external examiner (MA Product Design) at Nottingham Trent University, UK.

I have delivered professional lectures and presentations on themes such as innovation methodologies, sustainable design, new product development strategies, and the design/marketing interface at UK Government events, design industry conferences and international events across Europe and Asia. I have previously held design roles at major companies, including GEC, Matsushita (Panasonic), and Alstom. 

Teaching

Sheffield Creative Industries Institute

College of Social Sciences and Arts

Courses taught

• BA (Hons) Product Design
• MA Design

Research

• Art and Design Research Centre
• Culture and Creativity Research Institute

• Design Futures

My applied research includes technological product design and human-planet centred design approaches to enhance them.

Recent projects have involved
• codesign of gamification techniques to enhance exercise experiences
• smart wearables for activity monitoring
• mobile hyperspectral imaging products
• sustainable composite materials
• class IIb health monitoring in a watch format

I collaborate widely, including with users, technologists, clinicians, social scientists, material scientists, sports engineers, and many more.
Recent project sponsors have included UKRI, Innovate UK, and UK and international businesses.

Publications