Chris McGinley
After completing a Product Design MEng at Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Chris gained an MA in IDE at the Royal College of Art. His MA graduation projects explored people-centred interactions through the design of domestic lighting and furniture. He then went on to further develop these ideas at the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, where he worked on a range of design projects from medication packaging to white goods design projects.
More recently, Chris has worked on projects exploring the potential of design to positively impact complex social and health-related issues. He held a lead research role as a member of InnovationRCA's multi-disciplinary team for the SWIG project, a Design Council and Home Office initiative that focused on the challenges of designing drinking vessels to reduce the impact of alcohol related violence in pubs and clubs.
This was followed by the Design Bugs Out project, a Design Council and Department of Health funded industry collaboration, where Chris took a lead research role on the commode redesign partnering with design group PearsonLloyd and medical product manufacturers Kirton Healthcare. The design output for this project was a Brit Insurance Award nominated commode redesign, which is now in production.
Chris has continued to develop his interests in people-centred design through his PhD study, investigating the role of information and empathy resources to support the design process. His pursuits have also lead him to engage in a variety of inclusive design projects and run workshops with schools and the public, investigating issues such as ways in which older generations keep connected to one another and the wider world.
