Gareth Barham

Overview

Gareth Barham is a principal lecturer at the Cardiff School of Art & Design at Cardiff Metropolitan University. With an undergraduate degree in Product Design and a master’s in Strategic Marketing, he teaches market led product development and Design For Manufacture and Assembly on the BA, BSc AND MSc Product Design courses and Consumer Culture Theory to in theory study groups to students across multiple art and design disciplines.

Gareth's research in Consumer Culture Theory explores how to introduce the concept of ethical consumerism to wider audiences and a recent Knowledge Transfer Partnership introduced the concepts of DFMA and digital marketing to a local SME.

Gareth leads the school of matters relating to student transitions into and through higher education. His experience started in 1993 as a product designer for The Product Group consultancy and then as Product Development Manager at Glasdon UK Ltd where he conducted market research to identify new product ideas and managed the product design process.

Gareth joined Cardiff Metropolitan University in 1999 where his specialisms include Strategic Marketing, Brand Design Strategies and Design For Manufacture and Assembly. He works closely with industry to introduce product design processes through Welsh Government funded SMART Partnerships and Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. A recent design of Gareth's, a children’s sun cream applicator was the winner of the Best New Product category in the Business and Education Awards in November 2016 and in 2020 winning three awards for garden furniture products at GLEE, the garden and outdoor living trade show. Gareth has designed and delivered commercial Brand Design and Strategic Marketing workshops for the design industry. He also manages collaborative projects for students with industry.

Gareth is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is Principal Lecturer in Product Design and teaches Consumer Culture Theory through the lens of anti-consumerism to students across the Cardiff School of Art & Design. He has been a visiting lecturer at the Samsung Art & Design Institute, Korea University, and Dong-A University in South Korea and also at the Malaysia Institute of Art in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He has been external examiner for the BSc Product Design & Technology and BSc Product Design & Engineering courses at Manchester Metropolitan University as well as the BSc Product Design courses at the University of the West of England, Bristol.

Gareth is a Parent-Governor of Ysgol Glantaf and is a keen motorcyclist and holds an advanced riding qualification wit the Institute of Advanced Motorists.

Research Publications

Research Explorer Profile Visit the research portal