Amanda is a designer and educator working across the public sector, in areas of social inclusion, health & wellbeing and service design. She works independently and collaboratively on human centred design solutions and design research, working with the Vassall Centre, Teenage Cancer Trust, NHS, BBC Science, Imperial College, Media trust and St Georges Hospital.
She approaches design and design thinking as an agent of innovation and change, placing user experience and a human-centred approach at the heart of the design agenda. Research is developed through practical strategies in co-design, insight testing, user experience, scenario planning and prototyping, working with key stakeholders. Amanda has development partnerships with specialist institutions, research units, material innovation experts, local communities and charities to gain unique insights and support design research work.
Having studied Communication Design at the Royal College and the Rietveld Academy, Amsterdam, Holland. Amanda worked with the Helen Hamlyn Foundation while at the RCA on 'design for future self' and inclusive design initiatives. Establishing herself early on as a designer working across disciplines to innovate through design, science and technology, to capture insight into human centred problems.
Education:
Programme Leader MA Graphic Design
Sensory care: Sensory design for dementia. Developed with Queens Court Nursing Care Home Wimbledon, Faculty of Social Sciences Kingston University and St George's University of London
Bradbury Centre – 4 x films – Voice of older people
'Self Reliance & Self Care' – Active aging – insight testing
A research project set up within the MA course, developed with Age Concern Kingston to look at how a mobility game and empathy suit could create better understanding of the aging process.
'Positive Signs' Design Council – The A&E journey
Design project looking at the use of signage to help the pre-arrival and arrival experience for patients in A&E. To help patients understand procedures, services to give a clear understanding of what patients 'can do'.
A New Breed of Designer – publication / paper
Developed in partnership with Fuelfor, 'A New Breed of Designer' looks at the opportunities for designers to become specialist responding to complex social issues.
Experience Based Design Approach - Scoping workshop Barcelona
3 day Workshop developed using experience based processes to scope the opportunities for a new postgraduate course in social need.
Whole Person Recovery. A user-centred systems approach to problem drug use – Invited to participate in a co-design workshop which took place as a user-centred Design Symposium at the RSA in January 2010 including former and current drug and alcohol, network members, local steering group, senior policymakers, academics, local community members, local councillors, mental health professionals, substance misuse practitioners, homelessness practitioners, RSA Fellows, and employment advisors.
Sensory environments – Neonatal Project working with Born Too Soon and Kingston Hospital
Project ser up to explore sensory design opportunities to respond the care of premature babies, considering all stakeholders within the community, to rethink systems, way finding processes and sensory materials.
Digital Skin and Living materials – Short Film
Developed in collaboration with Nancy Tilbury & 125 Creative Digital Skin Design Research, using light, projection and body surfaces, drawing on science labs of the world chemists, technologists and bio-engineers as they beginning to sculpt and build bodies, body parts and as new human skins are being built in test tubes, petri dishes, tanks and textile structures. The film was showcased in Munich 2009 as part of the 'In Focus' presentations, part of the In-Cosmetics Fair, Munich.
Vassall centre Inclusive Design project
Design project looking at ways in which the work and refractory environment can include all. From the kitchen environment, to wheelchair access. Established with the Vassall Centre & Whole Bake
'Scar Stories' Research into the nature of skin as a material, facial disfigurement and camouflage.
Research project based at St Georges Hospital, Tooting London and developed in association with "changing Faces' organisation.
Charities & Design Conference at the Design Council Event organiser, Chair and part of discussion Panel.
Bring Charities and Designers together.
Media Works – Co event organiser and discussion panel chair
Pushing the boundaries in media with new technology, one day Conference at Ealing Studios.
Part of the Westfocus Knowledge Exchange in with Kingston University and Thames Valley University.
Digital Future – Part of Westfocus HEIF 2 funded
Three afternoon talks looking at emerging digital technology in design, mobile platforms and broadcast.
Invited speaker: BBC, We love technology, Digital Wellbeing & Blink Media
WestFocus Initiative, part of the Media & Moving Image Group
'V for Volunteer' - Charity Films
Collection of socially insightful films that show important charity work. Broadcast in June 2006 on the Community Channel, launched at Bafta for a special screening and featured on the media Trust website. Part a Government Initiative to support charity work.
Clever Thing – A New Generation of Intelligent Design
In association with Think Kingston's festival of ideas and the Stanley Picker Gallery.
Interactive workshops and events around the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture highlighting some of the surprising and diverse ways in which digital technologies are used - and misused Developed and Curated by Amanda Sleet.
Funded by Stanley Picker Gallery, External Affairs, Widening Participation & School of Design.
Digital Future – Part of Westfocus HEIF 2 funded
Three afternoon talks looking at emerging digital technology, formats and content. Looking at new opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the development of interactive design, broadcast, web and mobile content.
Talks were developed with the support of the BBC, Framestore Post-Production house, Blink Media, Innovation Lab and Ealing Studios, as part of the Westfocus initiative.
Funded by WestFocus Initiative, Heif2, part of the Media & Moving Image Group
http://www.westfocus.org.uk/creative/Home.aspx#moving
Online mentoring platform –for postgraduate students
ADC funded project Kingston University, online mentoring scheme piloted with MA students.
ADC R3 ( Rapid, Reaction & Response) research programme, Cross faculty research into digital methods of design problem solving using tableau PC's delivering 3 design problem solving workshops, and an interactive 'Inclusive Design' lecture and think tank session.
