About me

In brief, I principally see myself as suitable, firstly, by way of my experience within higher education - teaching art and design to a wide variety of student cohorts. Secondly, as having worked within an internationally renowned London design consultancy - dealing with major clients such as Apple, Minolta, BT, CDP Advertising Agency, BOC, amongst others - and having travelled extensively in the EU, USA and, of course, the UK. Thirdly, I am currently seeking just such a PT post, in my field, with a university, whilst I continue to further develop my art'n'crafts based projects and further establish a design consultancy with my fellow design partner. I have a full UK driving licence and passport. You may wish to visit my website *.

In more detail, I offer the following for consideration...

I have a comprehensive portfolio of Higher Education experience, having worked in this field for a number of years and held a variety of positions - mostly as Course Director - within my post as Senior Lecturer. Aside from teaching, I have been immersed in the day-to-day business of administering teaching and, importantly, assessing. I am conversant with academic standards procedures and achievement techniques, having both managed and delivered such programmes. Further, I have designed modules, subject themes and degree courses and advised on a number of academic course-committee panels.

I have supervised student learning needs, projects and ambitions of varying types, ranging from minor project assignment requirements and directions, major final year degree shows, student career choices and realisation as well as the more pastoral aspects that working within Higher Education with young adults at times involves.

I have considerable experience of running creative thinking workshops to a wide variety of students ranging from, school children, via undergrads thru to PhD students needing to become less linear in their thinking style! I have similar design consultancy experience in this field also - enabling and supporting clients to see a bigger picture from multiple points of views.

I too have an extensive portfolio regarding the varied skills and capabilities required to be a professional designer, a design consultant and assist in the management and directorship of a business. I have dealt with numerous jobs, clients and client types, from multi-national corporations running high-budget projects thru to small start-up ventures with limited capital but unlimited commitment and talent. The majority of my professional design career was with BIB Design Consultants - now retired - commencing as junior designer and progressing via senior and principal to design director. As an industrial design consultancy, I worked on projects as diverse as designing darts - with subsequent patents lodged in my name - anaesthesia machines - and numerous other medical products - SLR cameras, Apple Mac computers, toothbrushes, even 13amp plugs. My experience in the field is both domestic and international.

I have taught the basics of digital photography to students, mainly wrt to product design, covering both image taking and image manipulation via bitmap graphic software. Prior to the advent of digital imaging technology, I explored 35mm SLR film and darkroom/developing techniques and creative possibilities.

I have worked within teams, of various sorts, all my professional career and I envisage no problems working with the teams within the department; indeed outwith also. I have had to liaise with many different types of people - continue to do so - and am experienced in this aspect of communication.

I am an accomplished model maker and can work in a variety of mediums to produce sketch models, proof of principle models, all the way to finished appearance models. Indeed, these skills are invaluable to my arts'n'crafts making projects where I can supplement my capabilities with woodworking and metalworking, hot and cold forging, welding, even plasma cutting. I frequently build the tools and jigs I require to expedite the “getting there” process.

I have been using digital tools for over 20 years for various tasks ranging from product design concept visualisation, presentation renderings - 2D and 3D - and manufacturing documentation, both bitmap and vector graphic image origination and scanned image manipulation, etc. I have used these professionally, as a designer and taught them as an academic.

In my personal work, I make extensive use - both functional and exploratory - of digital tools to visualise thinking for both product design and craft items - I subsequently make in my workshop - and further develop artwork, watercolour/ink/acrylic paintings mostly, thus integrating traditional and digital ways and means.

Finally, please do visit and view some examples of my work at alixarts.carbonmade.com.

In summary, I am an experienced, practitioner designer with considerable experience in higher education available to commence at, essentially, zero notice