Natalie Wright

Dr. Natalie Wright is a Senior Lecturer and Design Education Program Leader in QUT's Faculty of Creative Industries, School of Design. She holds a PhD from QUT and has over 18 years of industry experience in interior design across Australia, Japan, and the UK. Her research focuses on socially responsible design, design thinking in education, and the role of design in the creative economy. Key roles include Manager of the Asia Pacific Design Library (2014-2016) and leadership in the Design Institute of Australia. She has received multiple awards, including the AIA Queensland President’s Prize (2016) and QUT Dean’s Awards for community engagement.

Education: PhD (QUT), Grad. Dip in Interior Design (QUT), Bachelor of Built Environment (QUT).

Research interests emphasize design education frameworks, inclusive design, and design-led innovation in schools. Over 45 school design programs have been facilitated, including the goDesign initiative. Recent work includes healthcare design projects and autism education barriers research. Awards span design excellence, education, and community impact. Grants include the 2012 Knowledge Economy Market Development Mapping Study funded by Arts Queensland.

Notable collaborations include Queensland Museum, State Library of Queensland, and multiple schools/NGOs. Labs/teams involved include QUT Design Lab and the Asia Pacific Design Library.