I am an Assistant Professor in the Design Futures within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. I am trained in Interior Architecture and Design with a PhD (in 2015) in Environment Impact Evaluation of Building Materials and Energy Systems.

I have worked for several years in academia and in the industry from where I gained a multi-disciplinary background and experience working in a wide range of projects across different sectors. User experience design and interaction, co-design and prototyping, public perception and behavioural change have been at the core of my research but I have always been interested in bringing methods from engineering into design; for example, using 6-Sigma problem solving from engineering to predict failure of design development and execution as well as to measure perception on aesthetic appearance and conduct design experiments to understand how different factors influence design or perception. I have also found it fascinating to use technologies to understand deeper perception like eye-tracking or gauges to measure specific attributes like softness and hardness, gaps and colour harmony in design.

My current research focus is on co-design, user experience and prototyping of products and technologies with applications in healthcare and wellbeing, in energy, buildings, and in automotive. Drawing on my background in design, environmental management, and product engineering, I work at the interface between design and product engineering to develop innovative strategies and practices that drive high impact solutions in people's lives. Within my existing role, my research interests for independent research lie in the field of smart textiles innovation for health and wellbeing and how we can apply such solutions into autonomous vehicles.  I am also interested in advancing Perceived Quality research of design and engineering products, moving away from the typical methods used. Beyond that, I am interested to be engaged in exploring how to influence strategic research decisions, policy, manage risk, and how to motivate investment in experiential product engineering.

Prior to my current role, I worked in Geely Design Automotive (2019-2020) as Design Quality Specialist of the new Lotus SUV and I was responsible for conducting benchmarking activities, customer research, leading design language theme development, and leading reviews with different stakeholders on improving the interior design quality from dimensional 3D models and clay models. Before, I worked in Jaguar Land Rover (2017-2019) as Pat Leader Engineer on surface materials for the following programme vehicles, Vellar, I-Pace, Discovery, and XFL China. I led a small team of three that focused on conducting customer studies, in doing benchmarking and evaluating customer preferences, I led the eye-tracking research in my departments and trained colleagues on how to use it and how to conduct studies with the technology. I also supervised 5 MSc students from WMG who had projects from the PQ department to improve and bring new dimensions into perceived quality. I also worked in material innovation supporting the CMF team in the development of new bio-based materials. For that, I was organising large stakeholder meetings with experts from engineering to review process development on a weekly basis.

Before working in the automotive, I was a Research Fellow in WMG within Warwick University, at the Sustainable Materials Group, and at the Experiential Engineering Group. I led the following research projects: Technology Strategy Board KTP with First Utility on Public’s perception on smart thermostats, Technology Strategy Board with JSJS on smart energy monitoring of office buildings in the campus, various projects under the EPSRC PHEE (Participation in Healthcare Engineering) like the co-design and prototyping of an assistive technology called KIOSK, that was piloted in healthcare environments to collect feedback in a creative way from end-users about transforming interior environments like waiting areas. I also led the GRP Energy-funded project called PVTRee: Imagining a 3D Solar Future (solar trees) in co-deigning and prototyping solar trees. One of the models was chosen by WMG to be 3D printed on a large scale and to be placed as the central piece at the Festival for the Imagination at Warwick University (2015). From all the projects that I was involved in, I have published research papers in journals and peered reviewed conference proceedings. From the PVTree project, I received high publicity and prize awards for my creativity and co-ordination of the festival piece. I was mentioned in Guardian News and was shortlisted to talk about co-creation in TEDx Leamington Spa. The project reached other Science Festivals and was introduced into schools as well. Here is a link to how this project came together https://animoto.com/play/W8SRTbBb0BvOT0mjTLh0Zg?autostart=1.  Can you imagine a 3D Solar Future charging our electric vehicles? I am interested to bring to life this project and I am looking for opportunities. My post-doctoral research career started in 2012 at Oxford Brookes University in the Low Carbon Group. I led the ESRC/RCUK Evaloc (Evaluation of Low Carbon Communities), in collaboration with the Environmental Change Institute of the University of Oxford. I was responsible for the Household Level Research of the project that looked to measure, monitor, and map the impacts and effectiveness of the low-carbon interventions applied in the 6 low carbon communities, both in the short and long term, from a technical and occupants’ perspective. Here you can find the elements of my study https://www.evaloc.org.uk/household-level-research . During my academic career, I was also involved in teaching and supervision.