Harriet McKay

Harriet McKay is a Research Fellow and academic specializing in interior design history and South African material culture. She currently coordinates the Interior Design program at London Metropolitan University's Cass School and serves as Liaison Tutor in Critical and Historical Studies for Design at the Royal College of Art. Her work bridges museum curation and academic research, with notable projects including the National Trust's first Modern Movement property curation (1995–2005). Her research focuses on apartheid's impact on visual culture, particularly in South African design contexts.

She holds affiliations with the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (Design) and the AHRC Centre for the Study of the Domestic Interior. Her recent work in Cape Town's Khayelitsha township through Monkeybiz South Africa emphasizes community-focused design initiatives. Publications include Imagined Interiors (2006) and contributions to British Design, Tradition and Modernity after 1948 (2016).

Her teaching spans undergraduate and postgraduate courses in interior design, blending historical analysis with contemporary practice. Professional activities include editorial work and curatorial projects that challenge urban myths about Johannesburg's architectural landmarks like Ponte City.