معرفی
Sharon Baurley is Professor of Design & Materials and Director of the Materials Science Research Centre at the Royal College of Art. She provides intellectual and strategic leadership for the Centre, manages research funding, staff, and laboratories, while also contributing to cross-College business through various committees. Previously, she served as Head of Design Products at the RCA and Head of Design at Brunel University London, where she oversaw 700 students and led the Research Excellence Framework 2014 submission.
Sharon's research focuses on the circular economy and advanced inter-disciplinary human-centred design methods to explore new 'Product Cultures' and the social and materials systems they inhabit as a strategy for post-industrial Design in the age of the Anthropocene. Her work aims to de-couple the use of materials resources from economic development within the context of the 'Fab City' concept, where cities are locally productive while globally connected. She employs synthetic thinking to integrate methodology from diverse disciplines including HCI, drama, sensory science, psychophysics, engineering, and materials science with design methods to enhance understanding of human culture and the human condition.
Her recent publications demonstrate a strong emphasis on sustainable materials systems, textile circularity, and consumer experiences in the circular economy. The research shows an evolution from early work on smart textiles toward increasingly interdisciplinary approaches addressing environmental sustainability challenges, particularly in the textile and clothing industries. Current projects focus on digital tools for dematerialization, bio-manufacturing textiles from waste, and sensory materials libraries.
- Josef Otten Award for Technical Innovation
- Ideacomo Award for Printing and Dyeing
- Osborne and Little Award at New Designers
- British Finalist, International Textile Design Contest
Sharon has supervised PhD students including Hannah Auerbach George and Chiara Tommencioni Pisapia. She has secured significant research funding, including as Principal Investigator for the £5.4M Textiles Circularity Centre under UKRI's NICER Programme and the £845,000 Consumer Experience Digital Tools project. Her research partnerships include collaborations with Vodafone, HP Labs, University of York, University of Leeds, and international institutions in Brazil.
As Director of the Materials Science Research Centre, Sharon leads a team focused on developing innovative materials solutions for sustainability challenges. Her center is integral to the RCA's strategic research direction and contributes significantly to national efforts toward a circular economy, particularly in the textiles sector.
