معرفی
Laura Santamaria is a Professor at the Royal College of Art's School of Communication, specializing in sociocultural, aesthetic and political aspects of design with a focus on meaning innovation, sustainability and social change. She brings extensive experience from previous leadership roles including Deputy Head (Research & Innovation) at Cambridge School of Art and Program Director for the MA Design and Culture at Loughborough University London.
Her research focuses on perception and framing practices in design and their role in value creation, social influence and change. She develops interdisciplinary approaches for activating citizen-led paradigm change through social action, innovation and entrepreneurship, building on cultural, critical and communication theories. Santamaria leads major research initiatives including the Fair Energy Campaign and Community Action Heroes as Principal Investigator, and serves as Co-Investigator for the AHRC-funded Counter-Framing Design project.
Her scholarly work spans design theory, sustainability, social innovation and cultural studies, with publications appearing in outlets like Design Issues, World Futures, and The Design Journal. Santamaria's research examines strategic design practice in shaping collective identities, mediating cultural meanings in social change processes, and enhancing creative capacity in grassroots activism.
As founder and editor-in-chief of Sublime magazine, Santamaria has established herself as a leading voice in sociocultural aspects of sustainability. She has developed and led EU-funded entrepreneurship programs with Grampus Heritage since 2009, focusing on grassroots socioeconomic development through design-led social innovation.
- Fair Energy Campaign Public Engagement (£23K, 2021-22)
- The Fair Energy Campaign Pilot (£145,000, 2018-20)
- Counter-framing Design: Radical Design Practices (£250,000, AHRC)
- Climate Action Heroes (£15,000)
- 'Green Village' with Grampus Heritage (£1.35M, 2012-17)
Santamaria is also Visiting Scholar at Loughborough University London's Institute for Design Innovation, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Royal Society of Arts, and trustee of NGO Guardians Worldwide. Her collaborative work bridges academic research with practical applications in sustainability and social innovation across multiple sectors.
