Brian Dixon

Dr. Brian Dixon serves as Head of Belfast School of Art and Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design and Illustration at Ulster University. He is also the Course Director for MA UX and Service Design, which he established in 2021, and serves as Research Director for Art and Design (UoA32) at the Belfast School of Art.

Brian received his PhD from Central Saint Martins, where he investigated how digital maps could be designed to support urban tourists' and walkers' situation awareness. Prior to joining Ulster University, he held academic positions at the Glasgow School of Art, where he led studio teaching across three master's programmes in Service Design, Environmental Design and Citizenship.

His research spans multiple domains including design philosophy, contemporary design research methodologies, and the potential role of design in policy-making and community-based decision-making. His work explores the relationship between John Dewey's philosophy and design research, as evidenced by his book "Dewey and Design" and numerous publications in journals such as Design Studies, Design Issues and CoDesign.

Brian has published widely with 26 research outputs, including articles, books, and conference contributions. His recent work focuses on design philosophy, Deweyan pragmatism, and the application of design thinking to landscape decision-making and sustainable community development. His publications reveal a strong emphasis on the theoretical foundations of design practice and its potential for social impact.

• ECR Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Distinguished Research Fellowship (2020)
• Early Career Research Excellence Award (2020)

Brian is Co-Investigator on the AHRC-funded Design Innovation and Land Assets project (£130k+), part of the UKRI's Landscape Decisions Programme. He also manages smaller projects examining the impact of COVID-19 on the NI creative industries (£10k). He has acted as Guest Editor for Special Issues in Design Issues and CoDesign journals, and serves as a peer reviewer for the AHRC, Leverhulme Trust, and several academic journals. As Head of Belfast School of Art, he oversees academic programs and research initiatives in art and design.