Meet the people who make up STEM Faculty.
Since the mid twentieth century there have been distinct phases to the study of design. Each connects design research with different methods and particular understandings of human conduct in the material world. The research Rachael undertakes studies how design work actually takes place in everyday settings. Her research examines how people organise design work, to co-design and co-construct new realities and engage with the societal challenge of disability inclusion, contributing to research in the fields of: design studies, co-design, participatory design and disability-inclusion. It is informed by Rachael's experience working as a chartered architect in practice on many built envionment projects.
This research involves ethnographic and video-based studies of interaction in everyday settings. Her research has been funded by awards from ERC, ESRC, EPSRC, AHRC, Enable Foundation, Motability Foundation and the RIBA and is undertaken in close collaboration with participants, practitioners and publics.
Projects:
UKRI New Deal for PGRs Operations Panel member.
Motability Foundation studentship 'Making public spaces and transport hubs accessible by design' £97,388 2024-2028.
Enable Foundation 'Objects talk EEE' £1,875 2023.
Co-lead on Research Plan Next Generation project 'Researchers with disabilities' and the conference 'Exploring Equitable Research Careers' Open University 21st September 2023.
European Research Council ‘Universalism, universal design and equitable access to the designed environment’ €853,000 to investigate the role and relevance of universal design with Goldsmiths College London 2013-2016.
ESRC Seminar Series ‘Designing inclusive environments: shaping transitions from theory into practice’ with Goldsmiths College London 2013-2014.
Open University and BBC Partnership 'Inventing the impossible: the big life fix' https://connect.open.ac.uk/science-technology-engineering-and-maths/inventing-the-impossible-the-big-life-fix
Evidence adopted for Cross-Party Women and Equalities Committee, Building for Equality: Disability and the Built Environment,
Responsibilities: Senior Editor for the journal 'Designing' (2025-), Member of Co-Design journal Editorial Board (2023 -). Associate Dean for Research and Scholarship in STEM Faculty (2019-2022), School Director of Research (2015-2019), Deputy Editor and member of the Editorial Board for the journal Design Studies (2007-2023).
I can offer PhD supervision on studies of architectural design in practice, co-design, participatory design and design for disability-inclusion.
