Paul Micklethwaite

Paul has made a career exploring the impact of sustainability agendas on how we think about and do design via modes of practice that are explicitly social and take design (and designers) into new territories. He is currently the Research Lead for Design at Manchester School of Art, Manchester Metropolitan University, which includes the activation of Manchester Design Factory, an innovation hub in the Design Factory Global Network. Paul leads a community of practitioners, researchers, and students seeking to design locally-based sustainable development with the potential to reach well beyond Manchester. This is done via a participatory approach to designing innovation that is social and inclusive. Paul was, for 12 years, course leader of MA Sustainable Design at Kingston University, London, a pioneering and internationally leading practice-based master's course for designers of all disciplines. His books include the influential course reader "Design for Sustainable Change" (AVA Academia 2011) and "Beyond Recycling" (Routledge 2021). Paul has a BA in Philosophy, an MA in Innovation Studies, and a PhD in Design. His PhD grandly asked, 'What is design?' - a question he continues to explore, specifically in relation to concerns of ecological and social sustainability. Paul is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy with a fellowship focusing on sustainable education in design.