I joined the academic staff team at Northumbria University in 2013, delivering teaching across all year groups of the BA (Hons) Design for Industry undergraduate programme, and conducting research activity to continue the work begun during the completion of my doctorate. More recently, I was appointed Leadership of Postgraduate Research for Northumbria’s Design School in 2021.
Prior to my academic career, my experience within the design industry predominantly consisted of the management of product and service development projects, and handling industrial engagement and collaborations. In 2009 I worked as a service design consultant for Options UK on contracts looking at NHS ward district service provision in the Greater London area. On a freelance basis since 2007, I have also been part of and lead consultant design teams for new product and service development projects at Unilever’s research and development plant in Port Sunlight, Liverpool. Finally, in 2010 I worked as an Industrial Liaison Officer at Northumbria University, negotiating collaborative projects between MA students and local enterprises including: Options UK, Roman Showers, Sarabec and Percy Hedley. It was these experiences that led to the construction of a doctoral research proposal focusing on the relationship between design and storytelling, and setting me on a more academic pathway.
Publications
Embedding Authentic Feedback Literacy in Design Students: A New Model for Peer Assessment, Parker, M., Parkinson, D. 16 Jun 2022, DRS2022: Bilbao, DRS
Establishing Trust through Storytelling: A Model for Co-Design, Parkinson, D., Warwick, L. 2 Nov 2020, Design revolutions: IASDR 2019 Conference Proceedings. Volume 3: People., Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University Press
A Landscape of Design: Design for Industry 2016, Hewitt, I., O’Leary, D., Parkinson, D., Forsyth, A., Scott-Harden, S., Warwick, L., Wong, R., Smith, N., Young, R. 4 May 2018
Animation as a Creative Tool: Insights into the Complex, Hewitt, I., Parkinson, D., Hilton, K. 1 Nov 2017, International Association of Societies of Design Research 5th World Conference on Design Research
How Does Storytelling Unlock the Potentialities of Communities; The Design-Client Relationship, Parkinson, D. 1 Feb 2017, Pearl Diver: The Designer as Storyteller, Milano, Ital
Stimulating Thinking at the Design Pitch: Storytelling Approach and Impact, Parkinson, D., Warwick, L. 28 Jul 2017, In: The Design Journal
