Gareth Barham

​SFHEA MCSD
e: gbarham@cardiffmet.ac.uk
t: +44 (0)29 2020 5668

Specialist Subject Areas

Industrial & Product Design
Brand Form Development
Design Process
Internationalisation of Curriculum

Qualifications

Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
Member of the Chartered Society of Designers (MCSD)
BA (Hons) Design For Industry

Biography

“As a product designer, my experience is rooted in commercial industry where I have been conditioned to follow Pugh’s approach of user centred design and orientation to market needs. However, I can’t help but recognise the emerging compelling era of the designer-maker which is enabling people to become designers without the traditional schooling that is normally associated with the design process. Technology presents exciting opportunities for people to dabble and play with product ideas in an unfettered creative environment which is in contrast to the restricted creative processes of commercial industry. Flaws exist in both processes but I recognise the potential for the makers’ creative freedom to be channelled into the design process in a commercial context. However, the actual inclusion of open, creative processes within a commercial structured context may cause it to lose its unfettered creative freedom. The tension between the commercial design and the maker movements leaves me a little confused but interested in understanding exactly what the contribution is that product designers can and should make to the development of products. This leads me to ask: How can product design learn from the maker movement?”

Gareth studied Design for Industry at the University of Northumbria, Newcastle and started his career in 1993 as a freelance industrial and product designer. After running his company for a number of years and winning the prestigious Young Businessman award, he added to his extensive design experience in industry working as a product designer and later as Product Development Manager at Glasdon UK Ltd.

In 1999, after a successful career as a design manager in industry, Gareth, motivated by the desire to encourage and foster a commitment to good design in others, embraced new challenges and was appointed Senior Lecturer in Industrial and Product Design at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Gareth delivers key modules on the BA Industrial Design, BSc Product Design, MSc Advanced Product Design and Master of Design courses. His background in industry proves to be crucial in this respect and he strives to ensure that all courses remain focused on the needs of industry. He continues to use his established network of industry contacts in incorporating a large number of successful live commercial projects into design curricular at UWIC.

In addition to the above, Gareth’s other interests is the fostering of creativity in the teaching of design at all levels. Gareth has delivered a variety of workshops both in the UK and internationally. He has developed creativity workshops for school pupils and their art & design teachers and has also been involved in organising and delivering professional development workshops for fellow academics from other British universities. Gareth has also collaborating extensively as a consultant for the Welsh Joint Education Committee in matters relating to pedagogical creativity in design & technology for schools.

Gareth’s research and consultancy activities develop design methodologies for organisations to link consumer needs with product branding philosophy. He has delivered papers and participated in several international conferences in the field and works as a consultant with design industry.

Gareth has worked as a visiting lecturer at Korea University’s School of Art and Design and in SADI (Samsung Art and Design Institute), both in Seoul, South Korea. He has also worked as a visiting lecturer at the Malaysia Institute of Art, Kuala Lumpur. It was with his work in international pedagogy that Gareth developed an interest in the Internationalisation of Curriculum and has been a participant with the Centre for International Curriculum Inquiry Network (CICIN) at Oxford-Brookes University. Gareth has delivered papers on the topic of internationalisation of curriculum and designed and delivered academic staff professional development workshops both within Cardiff Met. and at other institutions, including a recent HEA sponsored event.

Outside of university Gareth volunteers as a RoSPA Approved Advanced Motorcycle Tutor. He is an active member of South East Wales Advanced Riders whose aim is to reduce injury and death on the roads by promoting progressive smoother, smarter, safer riding.