Business Insider Conversation

BMW are going to need a bigger car park! I recently sat down with Dennis Wilman of Business Insider to discuss sustainability, circular supply chains and the automotive industry. Our conversation touched on:

+ Beyond Recycling
+ Learning from Second-Hand Markets
+ Parts Harvesting

+ Reverse Logistics
+ Closed-Loop Factories

The shift in mindset and supply chains from material recovery to product regeneration, won't be easy. It requires a fundamental rethinking of how we design, produce, and value products. But by embracing this challenge, we can create a genuinely sustainable automotive future.

 

Financial Times Fireside

I enjoyed my conversation with Bas van Abel, founder of Fairphone at the Financial Times tech conference, TNW, last week. We spoke about the challenges of changing the system not just the product for more sustainable impact at scale with consumer electronics. I spoke about follower brands scaling solutions pioneered by innovators like Fairphone and the next wave of sustainability where we reimagine product archetypes and systems within future contexts like extended producer responsibility and liability. To operate in closed material loops with zero mining.

 

Innovation talk 2023

Ahead of my appearance at The Financial Times tech conference in Amsterdam, here's a 10 min edit of my talk from last year. I talked about the pragmatic application of research, expertise and imagination to help expert teams take advantage of disruptive change. Using design to re-orientate business thinking and prepare for future opportunities and challenges.

 

Immersive Living Spaces

I spoke with The Future Laboratory's trends intelligence service, LS:N Global about our home becoming a more immersive living space. Where we are more than just consumers. Living more creative and participatory lives. Read more via the link (subscription required).

 

Al explorations

It was great speaking at the GROUP OF HUMANS® all-hands meeting last week about my initial AI explorations. I discussed integrating AI in the framing and envisioning stages of my design innovation process. And my initial reticence to use it in the idea generation phase, which feels so central to my identity and value. I also explored using AI beyond my design process, to discover new product possibilities for client's by utilising private knowledge bases.

Fortune thought piece

Fortune magazine asked for my perspective on how business goals have shaped the design challenges I tackle. I've discussed the shifting landscape of sustainability and customer sentiment over the course of my career and highlighted the need for more radical thinking and action.

 

Prediction talk

I recently gave a talk in London alongside guest speakers from Meta and The London School of Economics. We explored the theme of prediction and the opportunities of increasing integration of generative AI in marketing, forecasting, and product development.

Sky Live launches!

Four years on from the North Star I helped create with Lee Sankey to inspire and guide innovation and execution for the Sky team. They bring social zoom calls, hands free immersive gaming, social watch parties and virtual personal training to their Sky Glass TV streaming platform.

 

Creative conversations

I recently enjoyed speaking to students at Manchester Metropolitan University last week. Sharing insights into my innovation work and how I think and design near future contexts, experiences and products. With some of the students back in the studio we discussed where to find our inspiration are creatives. The importance of our unique eye level of focus in the world and what could make us and our ideas less generic as we develop our careers.

Reflections on IFA 23

The consumer electronics fair, IFA that took place in Berlin recently is a chance to observe and understand the latest technologies and priorities for manufacturers of the products that populate our lives and homes. A mirror to our macro environment. The tech show is shaped by our evolving needs and concerns.

IFA keynote: Closing The Loop

A pleasure to talk at IFA, the consumer electronics show in Berlin this summer. With my deep dive into our sustainable future, where recycling is considered failure. And how to address the radical shifts needed in product design, manufacturing, and supply chains to curb the rising tide of e-waste.

The System is Circular

Back in 2020 I joined a conversation with Jamie Cobb and Will Howe and Wallpaper* magazine. We reframing the challenge of creating mass produced products in a truly sustainable way where recycling is failure.

Don’t believe the hype cycle

I recently spoke at the Financial Times tech conference, TNW in Amsterdam. About avoiding the group think around emerging tech. By starting with points of view, radical provocations and future contexts. To set up expert teams for innovation success.

Don’t be a prisoner to the double diamond

I recently spoke at Materia - the technology, behaviour and data conference in London alongside speakers from TikTok, Substack, Snap and The Economist. About avoiding the traps of the double diamond design process.

Spotify Original discussion

I recently chatted with Jon Devo on his Spotify Original podcast about expanding the lifespan on our current tech, not just recycling, as an answer to our growing e-waste problem. Listen to our 6 minute chat via the button below.

Future design article

I've written about my near future design process for TechRound. About how you need a different design process to that used in the iterative development of today's products and services. How Science fiction isn't much help, but the pre production techniques of film and theatre are.

Beyond recycling article

I've written for Maddyness, a french online magazine for startups, entrepreneurs and innovators about how we should also be thinking more radically about we conceive, manufacture, distribute and look after the technology products we bring into this world.

The quiet smart home revolution article

Whilst much of the technology and business world is caught up in the future potential and hype of extended realities a quiet revolution is taking place in our increasingly intelligent and responsive domestic spaces. I recently wrote about this for TechInformed.

Design Ops panel discussion

A great panel discussion at Design Ops Global Conference with Clive Grinyer, Head of service design Royal College of Art. Chris Downs, Design Leader at Normally and Valentine M. Emmanuel, Founder at VME Experience Design. We talked, amongst other things about the the value of experimentation and its place in an organisation to help them make better decisions.

MA Innovation Panel

Central St Martins College Of Art invited me to speak at their MA Innovation Management graduate showcase.

We discussed the influence of design in organisations. And I spoke about strategic design that doesn't scale and can operate at the very highest levels of an organisation.

Design in a future context talk

I recently spoke at Design Partners Friday Gallery speaker series. A design and innovation agency in Bray, Dublin. Discussing how to design and make decisions in a future context. Some great probing questions and perspectives from the team with an enviable creative space & prototyping facilities to die for.

Ambient Interfaces project

My recent speculative design and thought piece on ambient interfaces for our emerging intelligent spaces has been featured on Design Burger. “A platform for some of the most influential design work from around the globe”.

Design & Tech Podcast

I spoke with Tony Ryan, CEO of the D&T Association on his Design for Life podcast. We discussed my difficult journey into design and the role I now play helping inspire strategic decision making through the design of near future product experiences.

Better Vision podcast

A recent podcast conversation with Paul Armstrong about strategic design to deliver more imagination and vision. For businesses challenged to create the future of how products will - and should - be made.

Fast Company article

I've been thinking about wether it's possible to create a technology product in a truly circular system with remanufacturing before recycling. And wrote an article for Fast Company.

ITV News comment

I recently spoke on ITV News about the value of a repairability score in raising awareness with consumers and how it can help at point of sale in making judgment calls. Great that the idea of product repairability is starting to get more mainstream exposure.

Tech Predictions 2022

Some thoughts on AR and VR for 2022 for tech new site, Verdict from myself and other industry leaders including VP of VR at Meta, Co-founder at Gravity Sketch and CTO at Argo Design amongst others.

Design Truth Podcast

I recently joined the Design Truth podcast to talk about bridging the gap between business strategy and executional design for companies wanting to break new ground. And the fragility of early stage ideas and maintaining our confidence in them as designers.

Forbes Magazine comment

Thanks to Forbes Magazine and Vianney Vaute for including my thoughts on the design of trans-generational consumer electronics. To extend life of our products through refurbishment and remanufacturing not just recycling in a circular economy.

Advice from Design Leaders

Creative Review kindly featured some of the insights shared during my recent virtual talk with design leaders to help COVID design graduates as they entered a difficult jobs market.

Wallpaper RE-Made

I spent part of lockdown in a series of conversations with Wallpaper* magazine and Map Project Office reframing the challenge of creating mass produced products in a truly sustainable way. Pick up the August issue of Wallpaper* to read more about the conversation.

Online event for graduates

Here’s a taster of the online event I created and hosted with leading designers to help graduates of the class of 2020 as they enter a difficult jobs market. Myself, Will Howe, Director at Map Project Office, Adrian Westaway, Principle at Special Projects, Paula Zuccotti, Author and founder of The Overworld and Jo Barnard, Founder of Morrama talked about our experiences starting out and tips and tactics to land your first design job.

Opportunities for an ageing population

ROC Gallery asked for my thoughts on wellbeing for ageing populations. I talk about the unexpected dividend of technologies pioneered in workplace video communications. And not simply viewing older people through the lens of dependants and problems to solve.

IxDA Event: Design as a strategic tool

An edited version of my talk at a recent IxDA meet-up I curated. Along with speakers from Movable Ink and BG Digital Ventures. I discuss how do companies get more business value from design beyond its traditional role as an executional tool, particularly at a time of accelerated disruption?

Samsung x Dezeen Win!

I was awarded the grand prize for Samsung x Dezeen Ambient Mode Design Competition at IFA 2018. The Kinetic Décor designed in collaboration with Stephen Waller utilises Samsung’s new QLED TV Ambient Screen Mode to blend the physical and the digital. Providing a graceful, dynamic decoration that complements the interior aesthetic of a room when the TV is not in use.

Matthew Cockerill x Deezen panel

I recently created and hosted a panel discussion in collaboration with Dezeen and panelists from Samsung, IKEA, Google ATAP and Nest. Discussing opportunities and challenges of our future smart home powered by emerging technology. Read our key take outs at Core 77.

Wired Magazine Comment

Wired asked me for some of my thoughts on the Samsung’s Z Flip having has a chance to get hands on at their launch event in San Francisco