Dan Lewis

I am Course Director for Design at University of Staffordshire, where I also teach across Automotive & Transport Design and Product, Furniture, Ceramics. I lead academic staff across Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses including the Creative Industries Foundation, Architecture, Automotive & Transport Design, Fashion, Product Furniture Ceramics, MA Ceramics and MA by Negotiated Study.

I am passionate about collaboration across creative disciplines and regularly create opportunities for students to work together through live projects, competitions and industry partnerships. I have also led the development of new courses, modules and curriculum approaches that respond to evolving industry and educational needs.

With extensive industry experience developing products for some of the UK’s largest retailers, I have worked closely with manufacturers across Europe and Asia. This professional background continues to inform my teaching, alongside the introduction of emerging technologies and approaches including CAD modelling, VR and UX/UI into the curriculum.

My research focuses on Emotional Design and the relationships between people and designed objects and experiences. My PhD explored how emotional and symbolic meaning can influence relationships with products, leading to the development of the Emotional Design Deck, a physical framework designed to help designers and students integrate Emotional Design strategies into creative practice. I am particularly interested in extending this research across different creative disciplines and exploring new applications within design education and industry.