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Mr Wyn Griffiths

BA, PGCE, MSc, FRSA

ROLE: SL in Product Design and Engineering

SCHOOL: Science & Technology

DEPARTMENT: Design Engineering & Maths

TELEPHONE: +44 (0)20 8411 6185

EMAIL: W.Griffiths@mdx.ac.uk

Biography &
Qualifications

Mr Wyn Griffiths BA, MSc, FRSA, Senior Lecturer, Middlesex University, Department of Design Engineering and Mathematics, School of Science and Technology: Wyn Griffiths is course leader on the BA/BSc product design at Middlesex University and Co-Founder/Co-Director of SMASHfestUK. He has over 25 years in product design and engineering and design education. He is a Lead Mentor for the Design Council SPARK Programme and a member of the Advosry Group for the Design Museum 'Design Ventura' programme.

He was a founding member, and Associate Director of redLoop, Middlesex University’s ground-breaking ‘transition space’. Along with Dr Andy Bardill (Director) and Dr Kate Herd (Associate Director) they set-up a new concept that brought together the traditional university innovation centre and knowledge transfer approaches through the channel of a multi-disciplinary design consultancy. redloop uses design thinking and commercial innovation to develop new incomes streams for the university, lead complex projects with commercial clients and support placement and internship in under-graduate students and graduates.

His work spans many sectors and a disparate range of public engagement arenas. He was Principal Investigator for the British Council funded 'Jua Kali – Informal Sector Manufacture Project' bringing together local artisans in informal settlements in Kenya, community groups, local and international researchers and academics, formal industry and governmental and non-governmental representatives to co-create plans for sustainable development in energy, waste management, employment and policy in the informal economy. From this, he founded madegood.org and the 'Fuel From Waste Network', which he continues to lead, exploring routes to sustainable transition energy in informal communities in Kenya and Sudan through participatory actions.

He also has significant experience in event, installation, experience and exhibition design, build and management. His recent work includes conceiving, founding and running SMASHfestUK, with The Refinery; creating large scale mechanical installations such as the Globe of Dislocation, exhibited in the Royal Observatory Courtyard in 2014/15 as part of their Longitude Punk'd Exhibition and the Stained Glass "Car of the Future" – a physical thought experiment with designer Dominic Wilcox for BMW, Mini and Dezeen and designing and designing and running 'Robot Overlords', an immersive robotics experience, exploring the perception and reality of robotics technology and social penetration for London Design Festival 2015.

Languages Spoken
Learning &
Teaching Interests

BA/BSc(Hons) Product Design Programme Leader

Open innovation - https://challenges.openideo.com/blog/interview-middlesex-university-professor-engages-students-with-openideo

http://blog.researchdevelop.org/post/45188611389/openideo-university-students-take-on-real-design

Informal and formal educational experiences and environments. Product Design, Strategic Design. Creative Design Process, Ideas. Social/Responsible Design, Open Innovation. Service Design, Systems Design. Design Semiotics, Product Semantics. Design Management, Design for Manufacture/Assembly/Environment
Research Outputs &
Interests

Using design thinking and design doing for positive societal change, particularly in:

Connecting formal and informal learning experiences and environments.

Widening participation in STEM, the Arts and Design, in underserved and under-represented communities.

Breaking down barriers between disciplines and creating meaningful multi-disciplinary/multi-sector collaborations.

Building insightful and resilient mindsets in young people.
Publication Feed
#MDXPD Product Design 2018
Griffiths, Wyn and Patel, Ahmed (2018) #MDXPD Product Design 2018. Technical Report. Middlesex University, London.
Young Innovator – SMASHfestUK Survival Village and Young Explainer Programme
Keith, Lindsay and Griffiths, Wyn (2017) Young Innovator – SMASHfestUK Survival Village and Young Explainer Programme. In: The Engineer: Collaborate to Innovate Conference, 07 Dec 2017, The Manufacturing Technology Centre, Coventry.
Engaging through disaster: reaching new audiences with SMASHfestUK
Griffiths, Wyn and Keith, Lindsay and Cunnigham, Elizabeth (2017) Engaging through disaster: reaching new audiences with SMASHfestUK. STFC Public Engagement . (Published online first)
INGENIOUS Survival at SMASHfestUK
Griffiths, Wyn and Gaunt, Sarah (2017) INGENIOUS Survival at SMASHfestUK. Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Website . (Published online first)
SMASHfestUK Earth and Sky Tour 2017
Griffiths, Wyn and Keith, Lindsay (2017) SMASHfestUK Earth and Sky Tour 2017. [Show/Exhibition]
View more publications
Funded Research &
Knowledge Exchange Projects
Engagement &
Impact

Co-Founder/Co-Director - SMASHfestUK

http://www.smashfestuk.com

2016 Finalist in NCCPE Public Engagement in STEM 'Engage Award':

https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/work-with-us/engage-competition-2016/competition-finalists

Press coverage of research and practice projects:

'The Government School of Design'

https://designnotes.blog.gov.uk/2016/01/12/the-government-school-of-design/

The Wellcome Collection - Raw Minds: Creative Merchandise

https://blog.wellcomecollection.org/2016/02/19/creative-merchandise-prototyping/

Fuel from Waste: Middlesex's design expertise helps Kenyans manufacture a cheaper, more sustainable alternative to charcoal

https://www.mdx.ac.uk/our-research/research-profiles/research-case-studies/case-studies/wyn-griffiths

Design Council Spark - Lead Mentor (working with 2015 Winner - Ayca Dundar)

http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/asset/document/A5_introduction-mentors1.pdf

Product Design graduate wins Institute of Making’s cutlery competition with final year project

https://www.mdx.ac.uk/news/2016/10/product-design-graduate-wins-institute-of-makings-cutlery-competition

http://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/blog/2016/09/competition-results-of-the-cutlery-design-challenge

Meteoric science festival bound for London

https://www.mdx.ac.uk/news/2015/02/meteoric-science-festival-bound-for-london2

Product Design student's bipolar technology exhibited at Design Museum

https://www.mdx.ac.uk/news/2015/04/product-design-students-bipolar-technology-exhibited-at-design-museum

Middlesex team helps build stunning 'glass car'

https://www.mdx.ac.uk/news/2014/10/middlesex-team-helps-build-stunning-glass-car

Time-travelling airship lands at Royal Observatory

https://www.mdx.ac.uk/news/2014/04/time-travelling-airship-lands-at-royal-observatory

http://weblog.rmg.co.uk/longitude/2014/04/11/theyre-here/

http://weblog.rmg.co.uk/longitude/2013/09/15/longitude-will-be-punkd/

https://www.theguardian.com/science/the-h-word/2014/apr/10/steampunk-royal-observatory-greenwich-science-history

http://www.rmg.co.uk/work-services/news-press/press-release/longitude-punk’d-steampunks-take-over-royal-observatory

MDX alumni ask London Design Festival 'what is a product designer?'

https://www.mdx.ac.uk/about-us/alumni/news-and-events/mdx-alumni-ask-london-design-festival-what-is-a-product-designer

IDEOMake: 'Knit Hero'

http://blog.andreaskoller.com/2013/02/knit-hero-ideomake/

Bright future for students with stunning light designs

https://www.mdx.ac.uk/news/2013/03/bright-future-for-students-with-stunning-light-designs

http://www.core77.com/posts/25905/Students-Doing-Awesome-Things-Check-out-these-Lamp-Shade-Designs-for-the-Plumen-001-Bulb-from-Middlesex-University

https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/march-2013/news-in-brief-round-up-130/

Designs for good health

https://www.mdx.ac.uk/news/2012/12/designs-for-good-health

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