Clare Cooper

Dr Clare Cooper is a Lecturer in Design Computing at the University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning, specializing in design futuring, visual communication, and electronic arts. She holds a PhD from Macquarie University and has over two decades of professional experience in design practice, workshop facilitation, and performing arts. Her research integrates interdisciplinary design approaches with activism, focusing on community-driven futuring initiatives and speculative urbanism.

Key affiliations include Frontyard Projects (a community research and futuring initiative), the Design Activism Workshop (collaborating with Indigenous Elders and grassroots organizers), and leadership roles in experimental music ensembles like Splitter Orchester and Hammeriver. She has received grants including the 2023 European Research Council grant for Sonic Street Technologies and the 2021 Equity Prize from the University of Sydney.

Her publications span design theory, speculative urbanism, and climate resilience, with recent works emphasizing grassroots activism and future-oriented design pedagogy. Cooper’s artistic practice includes electro-acoustic performances, graphic scores, and collaborative sound installations, showcased globally at venues like Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and Liquid Architecture.