Warren Fearn

Warren Fearn is an Associate Professor in Design and Postgraduate Lead in Design at York St John University's School of the Arts. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Dr. Fearn teaches on the Graphic Design programme and co-leads the York Virtual and Augmented Reality Research Group with colleague Andrew Byrom.

Dr. Fearn specializes in service design methodology with a focus on using augmented reality in primary schools to support science learning. His research interests span Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Service Design, Design Thinking, Primary Education Technology, 3D Modeling, and Animation. He has developed a service design approach to implementing AR technologies in educational settings, particularly focusing on the barriers and opportunities for adoption in primary science education.

His recent publications show a strong trend toward exploring practical applications of XR technologies in educational contexts, with particular emphasis on primary school settings. Dr. Fearn's work bridges the gap between technology development and practical classroom implementation, addressing both technical and pedagogical challenges.

Dr. Fearn has received several notable recognitions for his work:

• Promax awards for his work at BBC 3DFX department
• Emmy Award nomination at the New York Festival
• Unreal Mega Grant to fund research on augmented reality in primary education
• Shortlisted for Educate North Awards (2025) for Digital Innovation and Education

Dr. Fearn has supervised numerous postgraduate students on dissertations and practical-based projects in areas including community, sustainability, artificial intelligence, social justice, and education. He has served as an external examiner at multiple universities and has supported other institutions in curriculum development. His research is supported by collaborations with educators, programmers, artists, designers, and audio technicians from a holistic and co-creation perspective.

Dr. Fearn co-established the York Research Unit for Virtual and Augmented Reality and has presented on this aspect of his work at various conferences. He collaborates with external industry partnerships and other academic institutions, having hosted a conference in 2023 that examined the virtual imperative of XR technologies with guest speakers from META, IBM, Cinesite, and other leading figures.