About
Val Mitchell is a Senior Lecturer at Loughborough University's School of Design and Creative Arts. She holds a PhD in User-Centered Design methodologies from Loughborough University and has over 20 years of multidisciplinary research experience in UCD and UX design, focusing on mobile communication products, energy demand reduction, and participatory design methods. Her work emphasizes translating user needs into actionable design strategies through scenarios, personas, and co-design approaches.
Key projects include leadership roles in EPSRC-funded initiatives: the LEEDR project (energy and digital media in domestic settings), the REFIT project (smart homes and energy reduction), and the HOTHOUSE project (hot water use in future homes). She previously contributed to the CALEBRE project on energy-saving technologies and the User Innovation project on sustainable transport solutions.
Her research spans service design, digital touch pedagogy, and healthcare service improvement. She co-organized the Loughborough Global Service Jam and served on the AHRC Service Design UK network advisory board. Mitchell’s methodologies often blend ethnographic studies with innovative digital interventions to address real-world challenges in sustainability, healthcare, and technology adoption.
