As a design educator, I’m committed to cultivating transformative learning experiences that prepare students to engage design both as a professional practice, and as a critical force for shaping just, sustainable, and resilient futures.

My pedagogical approach is informed by over a decade of university teaching, underpinned by more than fourteen years of diverse professional design practice. This dual perspective enables me to bridge academic inquiry and industry relevance—helping students develop the critical, creative, and strategic skills needed to thrive in complex, evolving contexts.

Theoretically, my philosophy is influenced by the work of Dr Tony Fry, Dr Charles Zuber and others.
Fry’s concept of redirective practice positions design as a futuring activity, one that must actively confront ecological collapse, social inequity and unsustainable systems. This framework informs my emphasis on sustainability and systems thinking as core components of design education. I challenge students to interrogate the values embedded in designed artefacts and systems, and to consider the long-term consequences of design decisions across social and environmental dimensions.

In parallel, my approach of care, collaboration, and situated knowledge shape how I create learning environments. Influenced by theories of learning, community development theories, and experience, I approach teaching as a relational practice—one that fosters trust, inclusivity and student agency. I have a natural respect and care for my students, and seek to create learning spaces which are safe, inclusive and committed to equal opportunity. My classrooms are grounded in dialogue, co-creation, and respect for diverse perspectives and lived experience. I aim to scaffold students’ development of professional identity and purpose.

Practically, my teaching is studio-led, inquiry-driven, and anchored in real-world issues. Across the seventeen subjects I have taught — ranging from design history and typography to service design and campaign strategy — I have consistently embedded projects that tackle urgent challenges such as energy justice, food insecurity, disaster resilience and public infrastructure. I invite students to collaborate with community partners, industry professionals and policy contexts to develop design responses that are both strategic and impactful.

My commitment to practice-led learning has resulted in strong student outcomes. Student work from my classes has been nationally awarded (AGDA, TDK), and several former students have launched successful ventures seeded in my classroom. I design curriculum to support deep engagement, iterative experimentation and reflective practice. In developing CDM301A Major Project, now delivered nationally by Torrens University, I created a capstone experience that positions students to integrate research, practice and values into a professional body of work.

Assessment in my courses emphasises both process and impact. I integrate formative feedback, peer review and self-reflection to help students develop metacognitive awareness and self-direction. I also use authentic assessment — client briefs, exhibitions, research-informed design projects — to foster meaningful engagement and ensure relevance to students’ future careers.

In all aspects of my teaching, I aim to embody design’s capacity to act in service of transformative change. Whether mentoring students, co-leading government-funded education initiatives like Charge Up!, or curating graduate exhibitions, I bring a commitment to equity, collaboration and ethical design practice. Teaching is, for me, a means of contributing to wider systems change — by preparing emerging designers to lead with care, courage and responsibility in a time of global uncertainty and transition.