Claire Brophy

Claire Brophy serves as a Lecturer and Research Ethics Advisor at the School of Design within Queensland University of Technology's Faculty of Creative Industries, Education & Social Justice. With a PhD from QUT completed in 2018 on older adults' relationships with communication technologies, she bridges journalism and industrial design backgrounds through transdisciplinary collaborations with over 25 community organizations including Orange Sky Australia and Containers for Change.

Her educational credentials include:

• PhD from Queensland University of Technology (2018)
• Undergraduate/postgraduate studies in Journalism (institution unspecified)
• Undergraduate/postgraduate studies in Industrial Design (institution unspecified)

Brophy's research critically examines sociocultural influences on design through human-centred and participatory approaches, with core interests in design education, human-technology relationships, and socially-minded practices. She investigates systemic design interventions across contexts like aged care environments and robotics manufacturing, emphasizing how individual values shape interactions with everyday technologies.

Her 2020-2024 publications reveal persistent focus on socially responsive design in aged care and human-robot systems, with recurring themes of accessibility, community collaboration, and sustainability. Key trends include translating ergonomics research into real-world safety solutions for vulnerable populations and developing transdisciplinary educational models that integrate industry partnerships like BMW Group.

Award highlights:

• 2024 Alastair Swayn Design Strategy Grant for residential aged care engagement project
• 2023 Award for Programs that Enhance Learning for Design Impact Labs curriculum innovation

Brophy pioneered the Design Impact Labs framework – four compulsory transdisciplinary units ('Place', 'People', 'Planet', 'Purpose') implemented in QUT's 2019 curriculum redesign to address global sustainability challenges. Her grant success includes competitive industry-academic funding with community organizations, driving authentic learning through real-world design briefs.

She actively contributes to the Design Research Society and Design Justice Network, while her postdoctoral work with QUT's Design Robotics Research Group informs ongoing human-robot interaction studies. Current projects emphasize co-design methodologies with aged care facilities and transportation infrastructure stakeholders.