Postgraduate Profiles
Yu-Hsuan Chang (Sharon): Studying MA Design & Branding Strategy
I am a master student majoring at the Graduate Institute of Innovation & Design of National Taipei University of Technology (NTUT) in Taiwan, my country of origin. Being an oversea student has always been my dream for many years. Fortunately, Brunel, one of sister schools of NTUT, offers exchange programs, which I got from a notification on campus almost one year ago. This news interested me since Brunel Design has high reputation in the world.
From that moment, I made efforts to apply to this program. At the same time, I was informed that I was awarded a PhD scholarship supported by the government, and my supervisor, Prof. Philip Hwang, encouraged me to visit the schools and professors in person, which is the best way to carry out a survey for my future PhD research. So I started to believe Brunel’s exchanges will be my good opportunity to extend my research career.
In April, I met Dr. Ray Holland in NTUT. His lecture introducing branding inspired and impressed me much so that I could not wait to visit Brunel. Actually, Brunel’s Design and Branding Research have been running for many years and growing actively, and is now becoming well-known in the field of education. For me, a design student with wide ranging interests, the courses teaching students about the role between management and design were quite attractive!
Thanks to the Brunel School’s timely help via a series of contacts, application and administration, finally, I joined the lovely Brunel family this autumn! That was a result of the relationship between Brunel and NTUN built over many years ago.
The scenery of campus in the autumn was amazing and provided many changing images through the constantly changing weather. I liked to stroll under the trees and appreciate their leaves that were beginning to turn yellow, pass by the buildings a mixture of with raw and modern elements, and enjoyed the sunny tea times on the patio of Café Rococo. The library of Brunel also offered comfortable study space to me. The atmosphere there allowed me to feel relaxed but energetic. I could discuss with friends there freely about many things, and studied with a cup of coffee! Of course, it also provided abundant resources and quiet study rooms when needed.
Information required for my studies was also easily obtained, owing to the well-organised e-software systems, like the Six Degrees newsletter and the Brunel Intranet website. I learned immediately what was happening on campus once I got on line. In particular, the Event Calendar System was efficient for finding out what was going on and helped me check whether they coincided with each other so I could maximize my extracurricular activities. With such complete information management and scheduled arrangements, I joined a trip to Bath, a beautiful Roman city in the west of England, and applauded the basketball games. Life in Brunel was interesting!
Turning to catering and accommodation, I believe the Brunel facilities were excellent for students, although I lived off campus in walking distance. I even visited the halls of residences and felt it was a pity I was unable to live on campus, as there was no accommodation available for students studying on a short term basis. The necessary facilities to exist comfortably were all there, and the cozy space for catering also provided a good venue for international students to socialize with each other whilst enjoying a meal. Concerning the catering on campus, I really enjoyed pizza and salad, which I disliked originally, at the More Food hall. How surprising it was to discover I liked this!
Furthermore, due to the location of Brunel near the underground tube station at Uxbridge, a local town ten minutes bus ride from Brunel, I could shuttle between school and Central London easily. Accordingly, I took visited the City whenever I had free time. In my opinion, Brunel is not only suitable for studying but also advantageous to experience the London life.
On the other hand, as a design student, I really appreciated the green policy executed throughout the campus. Once I landed in Brunel, I noticed its efforts on various policies and activities, such as “Switch off” for energy saving, the litter recycles, and carbon footprint reduction. Then, I supported this action by joining “I'm Not a Mug” activity, which gave me a sweet feeling of belonging to Brunel family.
I have a desire always to learn new things, so I became passionate about everything happening on campus, and immersed myself in Brunel completely. I attended every lecture of Design and Branding Strategy, including Design Research, Branding Strategy, Creative Enterprise, and Strategic Design Management. All of these were new modules to me. I was pretty impressed ! The lecturers were always full of passion and enthusiasm in their teaching. Through their veteran experiences I quite admired, I broadened my vision beyond my original studies focusing on product and interface design in Taiwan.
I also participated in several workshops following the lectures. There, I met many international classmates with a variety of interests, and I found the lecturers were really approachable, almost like friends as well. They always led and encouraged us to express our own opinions by joining group discussion. As an international student, whose mother tongue is not English particularly, I was deeply affected and became confident to participate myself.
Through Dr. Ray Holland’s kindly arrangement, I was fortunate to be invited to investigate a wide rang of research topics in the School of Engineering and Design by discussing with professors and doctors. As a consequence of my double majors, Electrical Engineering & Design, I was heavily involved in absorbing the latest researches from engineering and design phases to formulate my PhD proposal. Indeed, all the researchers were so friendly and willing to share there distinguished research knowledge with me. Their suggestions stimulated my thinking and were helpful in drawing together my own research interests, and also assimilating new ideas derived from their own work. Eventually, I found I preferred to focus on Design Strategy and Management rather than other issues, which was not confirmed before coming to Brunel. Both of these topics were beneficial in adding value to my current studies in NTUT.
In addition, I also observed students in Brunel Design had many opportunities to put theoretical knowledge into practice, and then have a real influence through design projects or cooperation with industries. This insight encouraged me to think and plan comprehensively in writing my research proposal.
In conclusion, Brunel life was an amazing self-enlightening experience. This program gave me an opportunity to come to terms with navigating unfamiliar worlds, including the UK and Brunel’s academia. I really enjoyed living amongst people from different countries with different cultures. Speaking from my heart, I have found a new myself, one who understands how to live with open mindedness, even though I just stayed at Brunel for six weeks. I believe since this experience my life style had become more flexible and my perspective as well! This is a change I never yearned or imagined before. The knowledge is priceless. I am looking forward coming back to UK next year to pursue a brilliant life again.
Ivan Tuen: graduated MA Design & Branding Strategy November 2009
I came to the UK in 2007 from Malaysia with an intention to extend my career abroad as a designer. However, at that time I only had my work experiences as a selling point to seek jobs in the UK. As a result, I ended up working with some good agencies around London. After a year, I decided to take a course in order to extend my knowledge in my field, as a tool for career advancement, particularly in the area of design. Furthermore, I was interested in Branding. All my previous work experiences were in relation to that latter field.
I did a lot of research on universities, including reading The Guardian University Guide as a starting point. I found that Brunel was one of the top 10 in Art & Design in the UK, and I reviewed all the courses offered on the website. Brunel became my choice from there on. Initially, my application was unsuccessful due to holding only a diploma, not a degree, but the Course Director offered me a place based on my work experience.
One of the most interesting aspects of the course was meeting international students and making friends with them. We shared many insights about subjects relating to culture, designs and perspectives of people from all around world. It was a major learning process understanding the mentality and the way others approached and solved problems. The facilities at Brunel were excellent. The lecture rooms are modern and well equipped, the sports facilities wide ranging and the library was a good source to look for information, and after the academic studies it was nice to relax in the many restaurants and pubs at Brunel. Brunel is ideally situated having easy access to Central London on the underground from the local town Uxbridge. All the lecturers were very helpful and supportive and I found I was offered lots of advice when I carried out my dissertation.
I was honoured to be selected to participate in a one week workshop in France at St Etienne under the guidance of the Brunel lecturer, Prof John Bolt. The workshop involved working with French Engineers to design & create a new product development for mobile devices. The topic was “MOBILE ENERGY FOR MOBILE DEVICES”. I was also selected to present my work at the annual School of Engineering and Design show called Made in Brunel. The show was a great experience enabling me to meet people in industry and network.
My dissertation focused on Persuasive Design. I wanted to build strategies into design, so the strategies are communicated and able to convince change of behaviour of others. I got this idea when I read ‘Persuasion’ by James Borg. After that, I expanded and developed the idea of persuasion in design and integrated this into green and sustainability designs. I was offered my job during my dissertation and am working in London at the moment as a Brand Manager with the World Match Racing Tour. It is a franchise rights holding company that gives rights to venues on hosting a sailing event. The job sits between a Marketer and a Designer. I am now managing a global sport brand. Everyday, I work on projects which involve brand building and design management. My major responsibility is to ensure a consistency in the brand deliveries as well as developing new processes for new applications for print and digital media. Undertaking the MA course not only helped me get the job, but also provided me with a high degree of skills and knowledge that I am now applying in my current role.
Summing up my time at Brunel, prior to Brunel I had nine years work experience in the design industry and adding a course like Branding & Design Strategy helped me a lot on process and systems methods. This Branding course is great for designers who wish to expand their multidisciplinary skills, and with the whole international flavour to the course, made it a very enjoyable experience.
Sunniya Saleem: graduated MA in Design and Branding Strategy, 2008
"I was pursuing my undergraduate degree in Visual Communication Design in Pakistan when I got accepted on a Design program in London. During my undergraduate studies I visited Brunel University and attended the master student’s final year Design presentations. I was very impressed by the standard and quality of the work. After graduation I had options of either staying in London or going back to Pakistan. London had sort of started to grow on me, and I wanted to spend another year there. I got a few job offers, worked on a couple of projects, but wasn’t satisfied. I had worked on a couple of branding projects, but I wanted to analyze brands further and see their relationship with design. I decided to go back to the drawing board and apply for a postgraduate degree. I wanted to undertake a degree that would help polish my branding skills and provide me with a thorough understanding of the international Design market. I emailed faculty members at Brunel to get more information about the Design & Branding course and was overwhelmed with the response. The course was an exact match to my expectations.
The MA Design & Branding Strategy program at Brunel provided the challenge of independent exploration and stimulation with the help of professionals. I felt the course would help me strengthen my Design skills. The university itself would also be a positive contribution to my multi-cultural experiences as it was home to over 1500 international students.
The facilities at Brunel were simply superb, the availability of a 24hr postgraduate study center, access to computer labs, design studios and a huge library helped lure me towards Brunel more. The university’s campus was a huge determinant in my choice. Usually universities have small campuses or campuses split all over, but in Brunel everything was available in one place. It was a rich learning environment that helped me progress as an individual. Another contributing factor was Brunel’s art centre. I have always painted and for me it was important that I continue with my painting, but I also knew that a postgraduate course takes up a lot of time. I was very pleased when I saw the Brunel Art Center where I could go in the evenings after my classes and paint. It was during my time at Brunel that I also learnt to do pottery. Brunel transformed me from a student to a professional. It has been an experience of a life time both academically and socially. It was very encouraging to have a personal tutor who invested so much time and attention in helping me perfect my skills and my research.
During my time at Brunel my life changed dramatically. I was elected the student representative of my course that enabled me to interact with students on a wider level. Also at Brunel I got the opportunity to work as a Colleges and Peer Mentor and as a Brunel Ambassador. These jobs were a starting point and helped me prepare for the real world. They also helped me interact with various industry professionals and to attend seminars and conferences that boosted my morale. It was during my time at Brunel that I was offered a placement with the leading London based design and branding consultancy, Design Bridge. The MA Design faculty and staff at the Brunel Careers and Placement Centre helped me prepare for my interview at Design Bridge. I remember sitting in the careers and placement centre getting my curriculum vitae checked and preparing for an interview.
From an intern to a New Business Executive, my role at Design Bridge grew tremendously over the course of one year. I had a job three months before graduating and I owe that success to Brunel. Working at Design Bridge proved that everything I had learnt at Brunel was valid. I could see academia and industry functioning on the same level of expertise. My postgraduate degree enabled me to understand the word Design as a term, applicable to all sectors of society and to life in general. For my final year dissertation at Brunel I analyzed the use of fantasy as a design tool to position brands in both real and virtual worlds. My tutors helped me focus my research and encouraged me to interview several industry professionals to test the validity of the research. For my research I interviewed 45 industry professionals and managed to maintain contact with most of them even after my dissertation was complete. Staying in touch with them helped with my role at Design Bridge.
I learnt a lot during the one year spent at Brunel – the degree gave me the title of being a design researcher and a brand strategist, but the experience of living and working at Brunel made me more confident, pragmatic, disciplined, cultured and focused. Today, I can easily walk into rooms full of industry professionals and give hour long presentations and that is thanks to the constant confidence that my professors at Brunel instilled in me. Having left Design Bridge in March 2009, I now work as a Designer with a Pakistani media and technology firm called Innovative Design Agency (IDA). IDA is a venture of a group of marketers and designers – and I am very pleased to say that in our current practice we follow most of the material taught at Brunel. We strategise, innovate, develop and use various methodologies to create that perfect brand that our client would like. IDA operates as a B2B (Business to business) company and in a scenario like that it becomes important for us to understand our clients business perfectly. I often sit and wonder whether I would have been in the same position if I hadn’t had hands on industry training at Brunel. Studying at Brunel was one of the best decisions of my life and I would definitely recommend the course to everyone who is energetic and passionate about knowing the latest in the fields of design, innovation and branding."
Erlend Bakke: graduated MA in Design and Branding Strategy, 2006
"I graduated in 2006 from MA Design & Brand Strategy. I chose Brunel for a whole range of reasons: Brunel’s multinational community, the excellent course, the School of Engineering and Design and living in London.
Being taught by lecturers with many years of industry experience was, and is, essential to catching students’ imagination and passion for a subject. I also liked being in a class of 76 with students from all the world’s continents and representing 19 countries. Now I have friends all over the globe and I intend to visit them in the future.
At Brunel you get the best of both worlds of England. One of the greatest cities in the world and the English countryside, both were easily accessible. The Uxbridge campus was under development when I was studying and I really enjoyed seeing the improvements. I especially enjoyed using the great sports facilities.
I already had a part time job when I started my studies at Brunel. I worked as an engineer drawing CAD for an underwater lights specialist http://www.oceanled.com/. The course and resources on the Brunel campus had a big impact on how I worked with the company and in many cases Brunel staff were an essential resource to completing certification with Lloyds, see http://www.lr.org/. The industry contacts at Brunel were a key ingredient to getting my first job with a reputable brand strategy company called Figtree. At Figtree I worked as a Brand Strategist for companies like Orange, Blackberry and Disney. They are based in London. They were one of the companies I researched during my thesis.
My dissertation focused on internal branding. Internal branding is a new field in brand development and strategy, however most branding companies do not get involved in the key areas that can have a significant impact on steering a company in the strategic direction wanted by the management of a company. My dissertation was the best part of the course, through contacts at Brunel I conducted 18 in depth interviews with world famous brand strategists, management consultants and directors. The access to the City of London was one of the main reasons for choosing Brunel. When I graduated I was offered a job at one of the companies I researched.
I spent seven months in the branding industry with Figtree, before deciding to join a former Brunel student in building a 360 product photography company in the Uxbridge industrial park. After 11 months of hard work I decided it was time to move back to Norway and start my own company. I went back to Norway December 1st 2007. 3sixtyfactory is your all in one photo editing and image editing company. We offer services in areas such as Photo Airbrushing, Photo Retouching, Photo Masking / Clipping paths, 360 Photo Editing, Real Estate Photo Editing and 3D Real Estate Visualisation. To keep it short we help companies create better product experiences online. We now have six employees, two in Norway and four in the Philippines and we are currently looking to add two more staff to our office in the Philippines. I am the Director of the comany and work a lot, thats what it takes if you want to be an entrepreneur. The course at Brunel gave me solid foundation and made the transition to industry quite natural. I use what i learnt at Brunel everyday and will continue to learn and build on what i learnt there.
In sum, a single course can usually never supply you with all of the knowledge you will need to know everything when you start work in industry, but what some can do is get you as close to that as you possibly can. Brunel is different in the sense that the whole University has a very realistic approach to teaching students. From the start my lecturers were focused on how we should and would get a job in industry and that is quite unique.
I can wholeheartedly recommend anyone to study at Brunel University. The course was exciting and relevant, the lecturers had great experience from industry, there was great people and it is a great place to live!"
Linlin Hu: graduated MA in Design and Branding Strategy, Summer 2007
"My name is Linlin Hu and I'm from China. I came to Brunel as a postgraduate visitor and liked it so much I stayed. There were several factors behind my choice, for a start, it was one of the few universities that offered a course that interested me as well as the student life here is very much what you want it to be and what you want to make of it. The entire atmosphere was also very friendly and this meant that I would not spend the next year of my student life utterly lost!
Having completed my BA degree in Marketing, my aim was to deepen my studies in the field of business design with an MA, and Brunel was strongly recommended to me as an excellent University. It has a renowned national and international reputation. It was a good choice for many reasons : I have the freedom to decide the scope of my research; the Design and Engineering Department has a high research rating in UK; the academic input and recommendations from staff were absolutely right - I found Brunel offered an excellent academic community with a warm, welcoming atmosphere and many people who provided a lot of encouragement and help, both academically as well as personally.
There were small groups in the seminars and lectures, additional postgraduate seminars and preparatory courses about research methods and IT skills, all providing a good basis for studying my course. As a postgraduate, I very much felt like being treated as part of a wider academic world, especially from the support I received from my supervisor as well as from other members of the Department.
The University campus of Brunel is integrated, simple, but well-organised with all amenities, accommodation and lecture theatres close to one another. It has two campus stores where you can find Tofu or even LaoGanMa chili sauce here if you are from Asia! The University's newly decorated dining-room located on the second floor of student union offers all kinds of food, from Pizza to burger, salad to bread and even Chinese stir fried noodle to suit student from worldwide. More conveniently a HSBC branch is located just opposite to the library, you could just pop into there and deal with all your relevant bank enquiries. The campus has some excellent sporting facilities: a gymnasium, fitness centres and running tracks.
There is no doubt about it, Uxbridge (the nearest town to Brunel, just 10 minutes bus ride) is a charming little place. It doesn't have major stores and most newcomers stand in the market square and wonder where the rest of the town is, but it has everything you need. The fact that you can get around Uxbridge on foot is very useful and, perhaps even more important in a student city, if you do want somewhere a little larger for the day then Central London is just forty minutes tube journey away.
Student life in Brunel also takes about as many forms as there are students in the University. Brunel recruits international students from over 115 countries. Whatever you are interested in there is almost certain to be a society that does it and if not it really is easy to set up your own. The great range of students at Uxbridge means you will definitely find people like you and it is easy to make friends.
If you are thinking of studying at Brunel just come, look around and ask questions during the Open Day of the Department you are interested in; this is the best way to experience the wide range of topics and courses taught at this University and I'm sure you will then decide to be here to spend your time in further study. Every student finds his or her flavor at Brunel University. You just have to sample it to find yours. And I highly recommend that you do!"
Marea Saldarriaga: graduated MA in Design and Branding Strategy, Summer 2005
MA Design and Branding Strategy graduate returns to UK to take up a high flying job with placement company.
“I was trained in Mexico as a graphic designer and my contribution in companies was enhancing the look of products. My focus was to employ my design skills in such a way that the products were more appealing to their target audience.
After 10 years of professional experience as a "on hands" designer in various types of companies ranging from small graphic design and web design studios, to a global fashion company through to a book publishing house, I grew an ambition to become more influential within organisations and to actively engage with those who make the future.
I understood that as a Design Manager, there is a high probability that my contribution could enable social, cultural, economic or environmental change, so I searched the universities that offered a qualification to help me be effective in this respect, and they are all spread around the world. I found that each Design Management Masters course were very different from one another, just as each culture builds its own relationship with objects, signs and forms. The UK for instance, views design as a powerful tool that enhances performance and competitiveness. I was attracted to this view and so I narrowed down my choice to this fantastic country.
I applied to five different universities in the UK and got accepted to four of them, Brunel was one of the four, and it stood out from the others, because its offer was proportionate to its cost.
In 2004, I joined the Design & Branding Strategy course and found it very appealing. Its structure was coherent, we attended lectures and read numerous works (books, journals etc) relevant to the ethos of the course in the first quarter, and the rest of the year we applied what we learned, developing our own dissertation subject. We were assigned a Tutor that would guide us through this process. My tutor had a very helpful attitude.
The idea of doing a Master's dissertation is to apply the acquired knowledge in a specific topic that you as, an individual, were attracted to. I was very keen on the book publishing industry, so I decided to focus my research in the UK book publishing industry.
Through analysing various Design Departments within book publishing houses, I discovered that a company that manages effectively its design resources is likely to be commercially more productive. Being able to talk to Design Managers within this industry was highly valuable and most importantly a very enjoyable experience. I came across some very interesting issues and made some distinct observations and recommendations.
In the last month of the course, I had the opportunity to join the New Business Department of CDT, a renowned Design and Branding consultancy who were experienced in creating and developing consistent branding strategies. Amongst its clients are the Royal Mail, The Scottish Parliament and The English National Opera.
The New Business Development Director of CDT approached the MA's Course Director asking him to refer various students to be considered for the role of Marketing Coordinator as an industrial placement. He sent 10 people and we were all from different nationalities and different academic backgrounds, a reflection of the diversity of students on the current MA cohort. We were all interviewed and I was appointed Marketing Coordinator.
Although, I carried out this job only for three months, it was a very unique and valuable experience. It was the first time that I was at a Design agency and was not doing 'on hands' design. At CDT my role consisted of carrying out research on various industry sectors and brands which led to new business opportunities for the agency.
My Master's degree provided me with a wider view of Design, and encouraged a better understanding of Design Management. After taking the Brunel's MA course, undertaking research for my dissertation and doing my placement, my career aspirations changed : I was no longer interested in sitting behind a computer doing design, I was more eager to be involved in roles which encouraged and promoted a better recognition of this powerful engine for innovation called Design.
After concluding a year in the UK just after my student visa expired, I returned to my home country, Mexico. I began looking for a management position within the Mexican Design industry. After a few interviews, I was appointed Executive Director of IDD Estudios an online development agency. I turned the company upside down, from renaming it (now Twist Brands) to expanding its service offer. Its dedicated to the design of interactive applications which respond to specific brand strategies. It was an appealing job and I learned a lot, however I grew an interest in furthering my professional development as an independent business consultant.
I created my own brand called Creative Achievements, and provided a design management consultancy for a design agency called Pantiestudio, which carries out work across a broad range of sectors and disciplines on a variety of projects (Graphics, Digital Media, Events etc.) I liaised with the Managing Directors, product manager, production and post-production staff on a freelance mode. setting and agreeing sales target and objectives, initial contact and follow up of contacts and clients, and growing the corporate production business of the Company to agreed parameters.
Although there were attractive job opportunities in Mexico, my interest to return to the UK prevailed. I applied for the UK highly skilled migrant permit in order to encounter work or self-employment opportunities in the UK. After six months I was granted this permit and in the meantime I was in contact with CDT.
In November of last year I was appointed Business Development Director at CDT, and amongst my responsibilities is to set and agree on sales target and objectives. I am also responsible for researching and delivering a suitable competitive sales strategy for the Company, for researching and contacting new leads, follow up and making initial credential presentations, developing relationships, networking and meeting needs of existing clients, developing and pitching creative solutions to clients, developing suitable presentations to clients, presenting a consistent image to clients and potential clients, raising the profile of the Company amongst targeted groups and audiences.
The skills gained on my MA course gave me confidence with selling Design services. On the course, I developed excellent communication, listening and questioning, relationship development and negotiation skills. Further, as a result of the course, I am able to put together effective presentations, and presentation materials to clients.
I would highly encourage any person who is passionate about creativity to enrol on the MA course, not because they will acquire technical skills, because this is not the course's focus, but mainly because they will develop particular thinking skills. These thinking skills will allow them to succeed in any management position in whatever industry appeals to them and, most importantly, enables them to emphasise and promote social, cultural, economic or environmental change.”
Busayawan Ariyatum: Former PhD student joins Design Academic Staff Team
I originally came from Thailand and before joining Brunel my academic background featured a BA in Industrial Design in the Faculty of Architecture at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand and then an MSc in Industrial Design at Salford University. The title of my Master dissertation was “New Product Development in Thailand” focusing on “Smart Clothing” – a functional/fashionable garment with intelligent electronic technologies embedded inside. This project allowed me to study both apparel and electronic products. Moreover, there were 2 others reasons I chose this specific topic : A) there was insufficient knowledge of the New Product Development (NPD) process in Thailand and B) My own interest in Product Design, Design Strategy and NPD process.
I chose to come to Brunel for a number of reasons. I wanted to continue my study on the same subjects as my Master’s dissertation : New Product Development (NPD) process, Smart Clothing, and Design Strategy. I was also impressed by the work of the “Design for Life” research group at Brunel Design, which developed several interesting applications of Smart Textiles. Moreover, Brunel offered me a chance to attend their MA courses, which had a high reputation for Design Strategy, Design Management and Branding. Finally, Brunel’s location provided many advantages – easy access to London, the British Library, museums, exhibitions, etc.
My PhD research focused on identifying a new strategic direction for Smart Clothing applications, as well as overcoming problems, conflicts and/or challenges facing the multidisciplinary teams (including the design manager, product designer, fashion designer, the electronic engineer and the textile scientist, etc). My main contributions were to provide an in-depth understanding of the Smart Clothing development process and a new conceptual model which could help all participants understand their roles, responsibilities, and relationships with each other, as well as challenge them to think ‘outside of the box’ and learn from other disciplines. Interestingly, conducting my research it became apparent that since Smart Clothing applications were considered an innovation, most developers did not want to share their secrets. Moreover, it was quite difficult to contact these developers, since most of them were extremely busy. However, I received a great deal of help from Brunel staff and alumni.
Having finished my PhD, I still remain interested in Product Design, Design Strategy and NPD process. Currently, I would like to investigate the “innovation” and “Innovation Management” fields – which are related to and overlapped with my previous research. Moreover, I am assigned to teach these subjects; thus, I would like explore them further, especially the intangible parts of the innovation. I truly enjoyed my PhD experience at Brunel. I was located in an office comprising mixed disciplines (a CAD programmer, a cognitive ergonomist, an engineering designer, etc) who worked on a wide range of subjects eg the design for patient safety, eco-design process, cleaner electronics, human modelling, and so forth. I learned a lot from other fellow PhD researchers - as much as I learnt on mine own ! I took part in many of their experiments and they were great fun! I did feel at home and we overseas students, had many good times together, e.g. organising a trip to Bath, having a barbeque every summer, and having dinner together where you could try delicious foods from different parts of the world – Korean, Chilean, Chinese, Malaysian, Pakistani, etc. Also, we got great support from the home students, especially proof reading.
There were several programmes to support research study offered at Brunel e.g. weekly research seminars and the induction course. In addition, Brunel staff were really helpful – both academic support (e.g. giving their personal contacts to help me get my interviews done, asking their students to complete my questionnaire etc) and personal support (e.g. writing letters to claim back my part-time payment from the Inland Revenue and providing letters for visa extensions).
After my PhD I went back to work for the National Metal and Materials Technology Centre (MTEC), Thailand, the sponsors of both my Master and PhD studies for nearly two years. However, I am interested in both research and teaching and MTEC focused on scientific research only. Therefore, I decided to apply for an academic job and I found a lecture post at Brunel advertised on www.jobs.ac.uk. I had a good experience working with Dr Ray Holland and his team on the MA Design courses and that is why I decided to return to work at Brunel. I have always had an ambition to work in the academic field and plan to continue developing my academic career in the Design Management field. It is great to be back and working with the team again!
