Professor Vanja Garaj
Professor of Design

Summary

Professor Vanja Garaj is a Professor of Design, Director of Research for the Brunel Design School and Module Leader for the DM5605 Design Innovation Futures (MSc Integrated Product Design, MA Design Strategy and Innovation and MSc Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Design) and DM5545 Design and Branding Futures (MA Design and Branding Strategy) modules.

Vanja was previously the Head of the Department of Design (2018–2021) and Director of Postgraduate Research for Design. Before joining Brunel Design in 2017, he was the Programme Director for MSc Digital Design and Branding in the Digital Media Subject Area, Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Brunel, leading a range of modules on digital design at postgraduate and undergraduate levels—covering product, service and graphic design aspects.

His teaching promotes goal-oriented experimentation while emphasising the importance of a carefully managed human-centred design process and practice-based approach in collaboration with industry. He coordinated live student briefs across design fields, with the partner organisations including Cancer Research UK, NHS, Pan Macmillan, Help for Heroes, Friends of the Elderly, Corney & Barrow, Shell, Ibis and BT.

Vanja's research spans the areas of Inclusive Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), User Experience (UX) and Human Factors. He has been the Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on a number of research and innovation projects funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Innovate UK, Research England, Arts Council England and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)/Greater London Authority (GLA).

He was awarded at the Red Dot Design Award, Design Week Awards, D&AD Awards, Seoul Design Award, Good Design Awards (USA), The Webby Awards, Design for a Better World Award by Centro Brasil Design and West London Business Awards.

Qualifications

PhD in Systems Engineering (Human Factors), Brunel University of London

PgCert in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Brunel University of London

BSc/MDes in Product Design, University of Zagreb, Croatia

Responsibility

Head of the Brunel Digital Design Lab

Co-Founder of the Design Factory London, part of the Design Factory Global Network (DFGN)

Project Leader for Co-Innovate: Brunel Co-Innovate Journeys and Bridging the Gap