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.
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
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.
Patel, Ahmed and Griffiths, Wyn (2021) MDXPD Magazine 2021. Technical Report. Middlesex University, London, UK.
Keith, Lindsay and Griffiths, Wyn (2021) SCENE: A novel model for engaging underserved and under-represented audiences in informal science learning activities. Research For All , 5 (2). pp. 320-346. ISSN 2399-8121
Keith, Lindsay and Griffiths, Wyn (2020) “Space Plague”: an investigation into immersive theatre and narrative transportation effects in informal pandemic science education. Journal of Science Communication , 19 (07). ISSN 1824-2049
Griffiths, Wyn and Keith, Lindsay (2020) Communities and narratives in neglected spaces: voices from SMASHfestUK. Journal of Science Communication . ISSN 1824-2049 (Accepted/In press)
Patel, Ahmed and Griffiths, Wyn (2020) #MDXPD Product Design 2020. Technical Report. Middlesex University, London, UK.
Co-Founder/Co-Director - SMASHfestUK
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
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
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
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/
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
https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/march-2013/news-in-brief-round-up-130/
Designs for good health