The DRS is pleased to announce that the IAC has elected new members to the Executive Board. The DRS Executive Board comprises of Peter Lloyd, Chair; Hua Dong, Co-Chair; Emmanuel Tsekleves, Treasurer; Sara Lenzi, Secretary; and Colin Gray, Ordinary Member. Additionally, the IAC has elected the new Council Chair, Cecilia Landa-Avila. Below, you can read more about the backgrounds and what each of the EB members and IAC Chair hopes to accomplish in their roles.
Peter Lloyd, EB Chair
It is a great honour to be elected again as Chair of the DRS and I very much look forward to working with the new Executive Board (EB) and International Advisory Council (IAC). During my first period as Chair, from 2020 to 2022, the new governance structure of the society needed time to settle in and for EB and IAC members to get used to their roles and what kinds of contribution they could make. Now we have a good understanding of this I aim to ensure that in the next two years, the Society can develop and progress rapidly. As Chair I have three general objectives.
- First, to use all available talent. The new Executive Board and International Advisory Council demonstrate an incredible range of experience and talent for the design research field. How we can make best use of this for the Society and for design research is something that I will be keenly focused on.
- Second, to ensure strong succession. Good future leadership is not only vital for the health of the Society but also in helping the design research field to maximise its impact. But developing leadership skills takes time. Mentoring and training for future leaders of the DRS will be one of my key priorities.
- Third, to secure the future of the Society as a registered and incorporated UK-based charity. This is important in making sure all our processes as an organisation are transparent and professional. This underpins our central objective of progressing design research for the benefit of all.
As a design research society, I think we should be at the forefront of exploring and designing new ways of structuring our activities, organisation, and resources. With this in mind, I look forward to an exciting and progressing two years!
Bio
Peter Lloyd is Professor of Design Methodology in the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering at the Technical University of Delft. He has been a member of the DRS Council since 2006, taking up leadership roles as Membership Secretary (2009-2016), Vice Chair (2016-18), Interim Chair (2018-20), Chair (2020-22), and Treasurer (2022-24). He led the DRS through a governance review in 2018 and has been involved in the organisation of all DRS Conferences since 2014. He is the former Editor-in-Chief for the leading journal Design Studies and President of IASDR since 2023. His teaches classes in design theory & methods and design intelligence as well as supervising PhD and Masters students. His research looks at all aspects of the design process, with a particular focus on language. He was previously Professor of Design Studies at The Open University, UK and Professor of Design at the University of Brighton, UK.
Cecilia Landa-Avila, IAC Chair
As Chair of the IAC, I look forward to supporting all the council members to make DRS a more inclusive, plural, responsible, and thought-provoking society. In these times of interconnected crises, designers have the potential to become pivotal systemic players in recovery, reconciliation, and transformation of our present and futures. Together, I believe we can leverage our strengths and expertise to meet the needs and aspirations of our current and future DRS members, fostering a community that genuinely cares about its members and the practice of design.
Bio
Cecilia Landa-Avila is an academic working at the intersections of Systems Thinking and Design. Her journey with DRS began during her doctoral studies and has chaired the organisation of events for the PhD community. Cecilia has served as an IAC member for two years, especially in the diversity and inclusion working group. Cecilia’s research focuses on addressing global societal challenges through a Systems Thinking approach, primarily targeting systemic inequalities. Her work champions shared-power ecosystems that enable diverse actors to embrace plural worldviews, recognise tensions, and navigate value conflicts to drive systemic change. Cecilia works as a Lecturer in Systemic Design at Loughborough University and is Co-Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. She previously worked in Guadalajara, Mexico, as an Assistant Professor in Design at Universidad Panamericana. She holds a degree in Industrial Design and an MSc in Ergonomics in Design from Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico, and a PhD in Health Systems Design from Loughborough University. Her professional journey spans industry and government roles as a User Experience Researcher and Designer for Public Social Services. Additionally, she co-founded RELAESA, the Latin American Network of Ergonomics/Human Factors for Healthcare, to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice in healthcare systems.
Hua Dong, EB Co-Chair
As Vice-Chair of the DRS, I will support the Chair and work closely with the Executive Board members and the International Advisory Council to advance the knowledge of design research and create strategies for DRS’s future development.
Bio
Hua Dong became Fellow of the Design Research Society in 2019. She is Professor in Design at Brunel University London and the Inaugural Dean of Brunel Design School. Previously Hua worked as a full professor at Tongji University and Loughborough University. She was Dean of the College of Arts and Media at Tongji University from 2013 to 2018. Her PhD research at the University of Cambridge has laid the foundation of her research expertise in inclusive design, on which she published extensively, for example the book ‘Inclusive Design: Chinese Archive’ (Tongji University Press 2019) - featured in the ‘Design for All? Diversity as the Norm’ exhibition (May-Oct 2024) at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich. Hua has extensive experience in providing specialised research consultancy to industries to help designers adopt a more inclusive approach, and support companies to implement inclusive practices. For example, she led the Inclusive Design Research Centre’s team to help Ant Financial to develop China’s first industrial guidance on inclusive design. Hua received the award of ‘Engineering Heroes’ – the Top 50 Women in Engineering 2021 from Women’s Engineering Society. She is AHRC Fellow for UK-China Creative Industries research and innovation collaboration.
Sara Lenzi, EB Secretary
It will be a great honour to contribute to the growth of the Society as a diverse and inclusive community while it keeps its core strong as the main reference for design research and highest scholarship. In a moment of transition of the DRS, as a Secretary I aim to contribute to strengthening the communication between the Membership of the Society, the Executive Board, and the International Advisory Council so that the vision of the future DRS is collectively shaped while building on shared values.
Bio
Sara Lenzi, Ph.D., is a sound designer, researcher, and speaker with almost twenty years of experience as an entrepreneur and scholar. After postgraduate studies in philosophy and classical music, she raised over US$3M in seed funding for startup companies between Europe and Asia in audio technologies, smart cities, and IoT. She obtained a PhD in Design from Politecnico di Milano in 2021 and has been working full-time in academia since then. She is an Ikerbasque Research Fellow (Associate Professor) at the Basque Foundation for Science in Bilbao. She is an Affiliate Member at the Center for Design, Northeastern University, Boston, a Visiting Researcher at the Critical Alarms Lab at Delft University of Technology, and an Associate Member of the Public Data Lab. Her main research interests are in design methods and tools for data sonification, as well as critical approaches to machine listening and sound-driven human-AI communication.
Emmanuel Tsekleves, EB Treasurer
I am honoured and excited to take on the roles of International Advisory Council (IAC) member and Executive Board Member (Treasurer) for the Design Research Society. As I embark on these new responsibilities, I look forward to contributing to the growth and development of our vibrant community.
As an IAC member, I am committed to leveraging my 15 years of international, interdisciplinary design research experience to benefit the DRS. My focus will be on three key areas:
- Supporting the Global South in embracing design research and expanding DRS membership in these regions.
- Fostering interconnections between Special Interest Groups to promote collaboration and knowledge exchange.
- Implementing strategic initiatives to support early-career researchers and PhDs, utilizing my extensive social media following to reach and engage with emerging talents in our field.
In my role as Treasurer on the Executive Board, I am eager to oversee the finances of our growing society. I will work closely with the EB Chair to ensure DRS meets its legal and financial obligations, particularly as we move forward with the incorporation process. My goal is to help establish a solid financial foundation that will support our expansion and enable us to better serve our members worldwide.
I am deeply committed to promoting interdisciplinary and inclusive design research that addresses complex societal issues. As we continue to grow, I will strive to create diverse, equitable, and inclusive practices within the DRS, ensuring that voices from all backgrounds are represented and valued.
Building on my experience leading the DRS Global Health Design Research Special Interest Group, I look forward to collaborating with colleagues to strengthen our community and expand our reach. I am particularly excited about the opportunity to mentor and support the next generation of design researchers.
As we move forward, I invite all DRS members to engage with me and share their ideas for how we can collectively shape the future of our society. Together, we can elevate the role of design research in addressing global challenges and fostering innovation.
Bio
Emmanuel Tsekleves is a Professor of Global Health Design Innovation at Lancaster University, where he also directs the Future Cities Research Institute. His research lies at the intersection of health, design, and policy, tackling global health challenges through innovative approaches. Emmanuel has established the field of global health design, leading the first international research group on the topic and authoring seminal books in the area. With over £6.5 million in research funding from UK and European bodies, Emmanuel's work spans health, sustainability, and design. His projects address diverse issues such as antimicrobial resistance, sanitation in Africa, and healthy aging. As an academic career mentor, Emmanuel helps early career researchers navigate academia and advance their careers. He has supervised numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers across various design and health-related topics. Emmanuel's work has been published in over 120 international research articles, including books, journal papers, and conference proceedings. His research has garnered significant media attention, reaching an audience of approximately 30 million people through outlets such as The Guardian, The Times, and the World Economic Forum.
Colin M. Gray, Ordinary Member
I am excited to continue my work on the DRS Executive Board for the next year, building on some of my goals from the previous year (my first on the board)! Over the past year, I have engaged with two strategic priorities on behalf of the DRS community: 1) serving as program chair for the DRS 2024 conference and 2) conducting an evaluation of SIG health and future goals. Based on the outcomes of these areas of work, I have outlined two goals for the coming year to continue to ensure that DRS has a robust and healthy infrastructure to support design researchers. First, I will work to continue to professionalize the DRS conference series based on learnings from serving as program chair for DRS 2024, including finding ways to address substantial growth in the community and in submissions alongside supporting the expansion the increasingly broad range of topics that are considered design research. Second, I will continue my work in coordinating with SIG leaders to optimize structures for leadership, convening of events, and support key areas of future growth. I look forward to working alongside the newly elected board members to accomplish these and other critical tasks in the coming year!
Bio
Colin M. Gray (they/them) is an Associate Professor in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering at Indiana University Bloomington, where they are Director of the Human-Computer Interaction design (HCI/d) program. They hold appointments as Guest Professor at Beijing Normal University and Visiting Researcher at Northumbria University. Colin’s research focuses on the ways in which the pedagogy and practice of designers informs the development of design ability, particularly in relation to ethics, design knowledge, and learning experience.