Diane Simpson-Little
Designer | Artist | Creative Educator + Honorary Senior Lecturer University of Sussex
Profile | Specialist Areas | Testimonials | CV | Contact
Specialist Areas Of Expertise
All Aspects Of Creativity + Design
I have studied and worked in various sectors the design and education industries for over 30 years, this along with my training at the Royal College of Art means I have a wealth of expertise and experience in many areas of creativity and design.
Project Supervision
Duties Include: Designing project briefs, project supervision from research, design thinking, and ideation to final design, reviewing progress and keeping students on track for deadlines.
Portfolios
As admissions tutor for the product design degree at the University of Sussex, I was not only responsible for reviewing physical and digital portfolios and making decisions on accepting, rejecting candidates but also for interviewing students for a place on the degree course, so I have first-hand knowledge of how to prepare and organize a portfolio and the type and standard of work expected.
Presenting (Visual + Verbal)
Having been a senior lecturer and public speaker at many design events I have excellent skills in preparing presentations both verbal and visual and can help to build confidence in students in this challenging area. (Examples of my work can be seen upon request)
Design Thinking + Design Process
Design thinking is a non-linear, iterative process that teams use to understand users, challenge assumptions, redefine problems and create innovative solutions to prototype and test. Involving five phases—Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test—it is most useful to tackle problems that are ill-defined or unknown. This is at the core of designing and having taught it for many years I am an expert in this area.
Product Design
Having taught on the bsc Product Design Degree at the University of Sussex I have vast experience in this area.
Personal Statements + Interviewing Techniques
As admissions tutor, I had the responsibility of making decisions on accepting, rejecting and interviewing students so have considerable experience on what a university expects in this area.
Design Thesis Writing/Presentation
As Final Year project supervisor I have read and marked numerous design thesis’s and this experience helps to inspire and guide students that I mentor.
Graphic Design + Visual Communication
I taught Graphic Design and Visual Communication at the University of Sussex; I also practice as a graphic designer and have designed logos and branding for many local clients. This experience helps enormously when mentoring students in portfolio design and layout, visual presentations and students own personal branding.
Toy + Game Design
I created the Toy and Game design module at Sussex and run workshops in all areas of designing and presenting toys and games. During this time, I became a highly sort after consultant in the industry, providing workshops, speaking engagements and collaborations for live briefs and placements. I have many contacts in this area and won prizes with students at toy competitions.
Drawing + Sketching For Design
I created this module at the University of Sussex and have run workshops for both engineering, design, and computer graphics students I have also run many workshops on sketching for self-development.
Back to Diane Jones Design