Saffie Pluck

Saffie Pluck is a Lecturer in Product Design at Central Saint Martins (CSM), part of the University of the Arts London (UAL), where she teaches on the BA Product & Industrial Design course. She serves as a studio tutor across all three stages of the program, facilitating 1:1 sessions, group discussions, and workshops to support student development and creative agency.

• Institution: University of the Arts London
• School: School of Design
• Department: Department of Product, Ceramic and Industrial Design
• Academic Rank: Lecturer
• Professional Status: Fellow, Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• Education: PG Cert in Academic Practice (2023–2025, ongoing)

Her research interests focus on self-care through ritual and mending, the integration of aesthetics and functionality in wearable design, and overcoming creative blockages. She explores how reflective practice can unlock creative agency, particularly in student-centered and co-created learning environments. Her work emphasizes decolonizing the curriculum and fostering inclusivity through queer and interdisciplinary lenses.

The available grant projects suggest a strong engagement with pedagogical innovation. The themes across these initiatives—creative agency, reflection, co-creation, queerness, and interdisciplinarity—indicate a research trajectory centered on human-centered, emotionally intelligent design education. These projects aim to build community, belonging, and adaptive systems of learning within design practice.

Scientific Awards:

• Fellow, Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Saffie Pluck has secured internal grants to support her teaching and research innovations. The grant "Unlocking Creative Agency Through Reflective Practice" focuses on helping students navigate creative stuckness through co-created workshops using curiosity objects and reflective prompts. Another collaborative grant, "Queering Interdisciplinarity – A Series of Conversations with Staff", explores the intersection of queer theory and interdisciplinary practice in design education, aiming to produce a publication and digital resource. These grants highlight her commitment to inclusive, reflective, and transformative pedagogy.

Saffie Pluck previously served for over six years as a support technician in the 3D Make Workshops at Central Saint Martins before transitioning into her current academic role in February 2023. She is currently pursuing a PG Cert in Academic Practice, indicating ongoing professional development. While no formal lab or research team is mentioned, her collaborative grant work with Nina Trivedi suggests active engagement in interdisciplinary and staff-led knowledge exchange initiatives within the School of Design at CSM.