معرفی
Fernando Galdon is a design practitioner, researcher, and educator at the Royal College of Art (RCA), where he serves as a Lecturer in the School of Design, specifically within the Innovation Design Engineering department. He co-leads Innovation Design Engineering modules on Transdisciplinary Practices and Regenerative Practices (SuperGreen), as well as cross-college units AcrossRCA and the Grand Challenge. His work brings together design, computer science, neuroscience, philosophy, and sociology, with a focus on investigating the social, technological, and political implications of designing trust.
Dr. Galdon holds an impressive educational background:
- BA in Product Design from London Metropolitan University
- MSc in Cognitive Computing from Goldsmiths, University of London
- MRes Design from Goldsmiths, University of London
- PhD in Design from the Royal College of Art
His research spans multiple disciplines, exploring how design can reconfigure processes and systems of production to question the social, cultural, ethical, and political contexts in which they operate. Galdon has coined novel categories to address contemporary issues in design practice and research, including Deep products, Object-Oriented-Upcycling, Exology, Synthetic consequential reasoning, Pluripolar knowledges, Biopoiesis: PolyGenetics, Counterism, and Exo-Aesthetics. His work has been published and presented internationally at prestigious institutions including MIT, the University of Cambridge, the University of Manchester, and Harvard.
Analysis of Galdon's recent publications reveals a strong focus on trust design, sustainable practices, and the philosophical underpinnings of design research. His work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications, particularly in the areas of AI ethics, sustainable product design, and design education for the 21st century. A notable trend is his development of conceptual frameworks like 'Deep products' and 'Counterism' that challenge conventional design paradigms and offer new approaches to complex societal challenges.
Among his recognitions is the Art and Humanities Research Council Studentship, which funded his MRes work on the Design Programme at Goldsmiths.
- Art and Humanities Research Council Studentship
Dr. Galdon consults internationally for institutions and government on the future of design practice, design education, and research. His work 'A design history of COVID-19' was a research-on-the-moment initiative supported by the AHRC Research for change initiative. He is also involved in the IMPACT collaboration module between the RCA, Imperial College London, and Westminster City Council, which approaches smart cities from a human-centered perspective. Additionally, he is part of the International Upcycling Research Network, a UKRI AHRC Research Network Project.
He actively participates in the academic community as a peer reviewer for major design conferences including DRS2024 and IADRS2023, and serves on the Educational Development Board at READ Spain.
