Idrees Rasouli

Dr. Idrees Rasouli serves as Associate Professor of Design and Urban Innovation at Anglia Ruskin University's Cambridge School of Art within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences. He is the institutional REF2029 Lead Reviewer for UoA 32 (Art & Design) and Faculty Lead for Academic and Industry Partnerships, working across the faculty's four schools to enhance research activity and student experience. As Course Director for interdisciplinary postgraduate programs, he leads initiatives that bridge academic theory with practical application in design innovation.

• PhD Innovation Design Engineering, Royal College of Art (2023)
• MPhil Innovation Design Engineering, Royal College of Art
• PGCert in Teaching & Learning for Creative Courses, Ravensbourne University London
• MA Innovation Design Engineering, Royal College of Art
• MSc Innovation Design Engineering, Imperial College London
• BA (Hons) Interior Design Environment Architectures, Ravensbourne University London

Rasouli's research focuses on Design and Innovation for Urban Justice and a Post-Oil World, examining how design functions within cities facing resource constraints and emergencies. His conceptual framework of 'Design Pivots' explores Human-Connected Design, Design in/for Emergency, Autonomous Design, Decolonised Design, and Design Under Resource Constraints. His work integrates socio-ecological systems to expand design's conceptual scope and diversify innovation practices across cultural contexts. His research spans multiple sectors including healthcare, disaster recovery, urban safety, and sustainable technology.

His recent publications reveal trends toward post-oil urban futures, resource-constrained design methodologies, and more-than-human neighborhood planning. These works demonstrate his commitment to addressing environmental, social, and economic challenges through design innovation, with particular emphasis on decolonized approaches and ecological resilience. His scholarship bridges academic research with practical applications in urban environments worldwide.

• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts
• Academician of The Academy of Urbanism

Rasouli has secured over £5 million in research funding since 2013 as PI and Co-I, leading projects including Create Cambridge (£100,000), Design for Social Regeneration After Mass Disaster (£15,000), and Celebrating Life: Designing the 21st Century Crematorium (£900,000). His grant portfolio reflects his interdisciplinary approach to addressing complex urban challenges through design-led systems change. He has served as external examiner, course development consultant, and board advisor for multiple institutions including Falmouth University and Ravensbourne University London.

As Founder & Creative Director of X-Crop, a Cambridge-based research and innovation lab, and Co-Founder & Co-Lead of Create Cambridge, Rasouli builds ecosystems that connect academic research with community needs. His work with X-Crop focuses on designing products, processes, and places that address complex human and urban challenges through integrated product-service-systems, meaningful interactions, and sensitive spatial experiences.