Lindsay Asquith

Dr. Lindsay Asquith is a Senior Lecturer in the School Of Design at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building. She has held this position since January 2022 and previously served as Director of the UTS Design Innovation Research Centre (2019-2021) and Assistant Director (2019-2020). Her academic career at UTS spans over a decade, with roles including Research Fellow and Research Officer in the Design Innovation Research Centre and Designing out Crime research group.

Lindsay holds a PhD in Architecture from Oxford Brookes University (1998-2003) and an MA (Hons) in History from the University of Aberdeen (1981-1985).

• PhD, Architecture, Oxford Brookes University, 1998-2003
• MA (Hons), History, University of Aberdeen, 1981-1985

As a social and service designer and vernacular architect, Lindsay focuses on using design to transform the life chances of marginalized people. Her current research centers on designing for care in disability and aged care spaces, taking a collaborative and strengths-based approach that embeds lived experience in societal and systems change. She leads projects like 'A Good Life' with Northcott Innovation's Supported Living Lab, reframing challenges in social housing, and minimizing violence in hospital emergency departments. Her work bridges design thinking with social impact, particularly for vulnerable populations.

Lindsay's publication record demonstrates a consistent trajectory from crime prevention through environmental design toward more complex social design challenges. Early work focused on practical applications of design to reduce crime in specific contexts like service stations and public spaces. Over time, her research has evolved to address broader societal issues through frameworks like frame creation for complex social problems and integrating design practices with strategic organizational functions.

Lindsay has received funding for numerous research projects from diverse organizations including Commonwealth Bank, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Northcott Innovation, National Heart Foundation, and the Australian Institute of Criminology. Her collaborative approach has resulted in over 100 externally funded research projects for public and private sector clients throughout her career.

As an educator, Lindsay teaches in the Master of Design and Graduate Certificate in Social and Service Design programs at UTS. She supervises postgraduate research, currently serving as principal supervisor for one PhD student and co-supervisor for two others. She brings her extensive industry and government-partnered research experience into the classroom, creating opportunities for students to work on real-world complex problems.

Lindsay is actively involved with several research centers at UTS, including the Design Innovation Research Centre, UTS Ageing Research Collaborative (UARC), and INSIGHT: Institute for Innovative Solutions for Wellbeing and Health. Her collaborative work with Northcott Innovation through the Supported Living Lab represents a significant applied research initiative that brings together clients, staff, and service designers to create innovative solutions for disability needs.