Rob is a product designer and researcher with over 25 years of industry experience.
During his career, Rob has authored numerous research papers, secured five international patents, and co-founded two successful start-ups: Upgrade Bikes and d3o Materials Lab. Both start-ups employ more than 40 staff members and are recognised leaders in bike componentry and protective solutions. Rob's user-oriented proposals have included lifesaving applications in fire and ballistics, which have gained international circulation. In 2024, he was selected by the UK’s Design Council to serve as an Expert Panel Member in Planet Centred Design, a position that followed a rigorous application process with more than 3,000 applicants for only 250 places.
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Research interests
Rob's work was featured as a REF Impact case study in 2021.
He led the £1 million Citizen Naturewatch (CN) collaboration between the Royal College of Art (RCA) and Goldsmiths, which explored socially responsible design approaches to documenting wildlife in community spaces using DIY technologies. This project was successfully broadcast on BBC SpringWatch, reaching an audience of over 3.5 million, and was part of #30dayswild, an engagement initiative by The Wildlife Trusts that involved 800,000 participants.
His world-leading research has received substantial funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), including £3.4 million (EP/W020610/1) in 2023, the largest grant ever awarded to the RCA’s Design School, and £500,000 (EP/M017591/1) in 2017.
Rob has extensive experience in empowering participants without prior technological relationships to create digital outputs. He has also been involved in the Future Makespaces initiative, which received £500,000 in funding.
His PhD work developed new methodologies in Open Design and Citizen Science, leading to the establishment of The Bee Lab, funded by Horizon (£30,000) in partnership with the British Beekeepers Association. This lab scientifically monitors hives across the UK and has been adapted for teaching technology creation in HM prisons.
Research funding
EPSRC Future ICT-enabled manufacturing – cross disciplinary research clusters (EP/K014234/1) involving Premier Foods - Baurley (PI), Phillips (CI)
Into the Garden Project (£35,000, IT as utility programme) involving the National Allotments Association, Phillips (PI)
Citizen Naturewatch £1M collaboration RCA & Goldsmiths Interaction Research Studio (EP/P006353/1) exploring socially responsible design approaches to documenting wildlife in community spaces with DIY technologies, Phillips (PI). 2017
Bee Lab, project funding, awarded by Horizon Digital Economy Research £35,000, 2013, Phillips (PI)
Awards
Ispo Design Award for Best Apparel, Quicksilver & d3o, 2007
Highly Commended, Snowdon Award for Disability Projects, 2006
Shortlisted, Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Design for Future Selves, 2006
Kokoyu Okuyuki Design Award, 2006 (following a project in Tokyo)
Publications, exhibitions, other outcomes
Rob is currently working on his fourth collaboratively authored book; a previous publication, FutureKind: Design for and by the People, was released with Thames & Hudson. His research has been peer-reviewed and published in prominent journals such as Design Issues and Co-Design (MIT Press), and he has received invitations to present keynotes at international conferences.
Publications
Phillips, R., Abbas-Nazari, A., Tooze, J., Gaver, B., Boucher, A., Ovalle, L., Sheen, A., Brown, D., Matsuda, N. and Vanis, M., 2019, July. Design and Deploying Tools to ‘Actively Engaging Nature’. In International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 513-531). Springer, Cham.
Phillips, R., 2019. FutureKind: Design by and for the People. Thames & Hudson.
Gaver, W., Boucher, A., Vanis, M., Sheen, A., Brown, D., Ovalle, L., Matsuda, N., Abbas-Nazari, A. and Phillips, R., 2019, April. My Naturewatch Camera: Disseminating Practice Research with a Cheap and Easy DIY Design. In Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (p. 302). ACM.
Phillips, R. and Kau, K., 2019. Gaming for Active Nature Engagement Animal Diplomacy Bureau: designing games to engage and create player agency in urban nature. The Design Journal, 22(sup1), pp.1587-1602.
Phillips, R., Abbas-Nazari, A., Gaver, W., Boucher, A., Orvalle, L., Sheen, A., Brown, D., Matsuda, N. and Vanis, M., 2019. Encouraging Young People to Engage In Their (Immediate Backdoor Nature), Through Cinemas.
Phillips, R., 2019. Design insights for socially-led interventions. Journal of Design, Business & Society, 5(1), pp.7-33.
Phillips, R. and Roberto, F., 2018. Design Research in Professional Practice: Contextual Empathy, The Indian Train Network. Insight 2018.
Martindale, S., Bedwell, B., Phillips, R. and Pedros, M., 2017, June. Proof in the Pudding: Designing IoT Plants to Promote Wellbeing. In Proceedings of the 2017 Conference on Designing Interactive Systems (pp. 529-540). ACM.
Phillips, R., Brown, M. and Baurley, S., 2016. Social responses to nature; citizen empowerment through design. Journal of Design, Business & Society, 2(2), pp.197-215.
Phillips, R., Dexter, M., Atkinson, P. & Baurley, S. (2014) 'Standard Deviation: Ensuring Quality and Reliability in Open Design Practice'
Tooze, J., Phillips, R., Smith, S., Foote, E., Silve. S & Baurley, S (2014) 'How Open is Open?' (Design Journal accepted)
Phillips, R. & Baurley, S. (2014) ‘Exploring Open Design for the Application of Citizen Science; a Toolkit Methodology’, 8th Design Research Society conference: Design’s Big Debates. Umea, Sweden 16-19 June 2014
Phillips, R., Silve, S. & Baurley, S. (2014) ‘Citizen Science and Open Design: Workshop Findings’, Design Issues, 30:4, 52–66
Phillips, R., Blum, J., Brown, M. & Baurley, S. (2014) ‘Testing a Grassroots Citizen Science Venture Using Open Design, “the Bee Lab Project”’, ACM. CHI’14: Proceedings of the 32nd International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, May 2014, 1951–56
Phillips, R., Lockton, D., Baurley, S. & Silve, S. (2013) ‘Making Instructions for Others: Exploring Mental Models Through a Simple Exercise’, Interactions, 2013, 20: 5, 74–79
Phillips, R., Ford, Y., Sadler, K., Silve, S., & Baurley, S. (2013) ‘Open Design: Non-Professional User-designers Creating Products for Citizen Science, a Case Study of Beekeepers’, Human Computer Interaction International, United States: Springer, 54
Phillips, R., Silve, S. & Baurley, S. (2013) ‘What Are The Opportunities in Partnering Open Design with Citizen Science for Bespoke Monitoring within Hobby or Niche Communities?’, Rescon 13, London: Brunel University
Phillips, R., Silve, S., & Baurley, S (2013), ‘The Practical Maker: Investigating the Definitions and Requirements of and Exploring the Motivations Behind Bespoke Making’, Crafting the Future, 10th European Design Conference (EAD), Gothenburg: University of Gothenburg
Davis M., Phillips R.D. (2012) Finger Toy Interaction Device, UK Patent
Phillips, R., Silve, S., & Baurley, S. (2012) ‘The Trust of a Maker and Making to Trust’, Future Everything 2012, Manchester: Future Everything
Mason D., Phillips R.D. (2011) Suspension Device For Un-motorised Bike, Taiwanese Patent
Gaver, W., Boucher, A., Bowers, J., Blythe, M., Jarvis, N., Cameron, D., Kerridge, T., Wilkie, A., Phillips, R., Wright, P. (2011) ‘The Photostroller: Supporting Diverse Care Home Residents in Engaging with the World’, CHI’11: Proceedings of the 29th International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Vancouver, British Columbia
Mason D., Phillips R.D. (2010) Inter-rotational Bearing Assembly, Taiwanese Patent
Phillips, R.D. (2005) Lid, In Particular For A Disposable Cup, UK Patent: WO 2005/014425 A1
Exhibitions
Digital Design weekend, London Design Week, Victoria and Albert Museum, September 2013
Maker Faire, Corn Exchange, Brighton, 2012
Future Everything, Victoria Baths, Manchester, 2012
Design Interventions, ExLibris Gallery, Newcastle University, June 2010
Creative Partnerships, Towner Gallery, Eastbourne, June 2010
UX Brighton, May 2010
Pecha Kucha, Brighton, November 2009
International Fire-X, Birmingham NEC May 2009
Vieltag, shop installation, Zurich, November 2006 – February 2007
Canary Wharf, window installation, November – December 2006
Fly Pitch, ICA and ICON magazine, ten-minute stand-up presentation, 23 September 2006
Tea & Prosperity, Truman Brewery, London, Design Week 2006
Golden Lane Estate, community project, London Design Week 2006
Conran Head Office, London, selected works from RCA, 2006
RCA Design Products Show, 2006
Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Nigeria, March 2006
British Council Office, Lagos, Nigeria, February 2006
KOKUYO, Tokyo Shinagawa office showroom, 17–18 November 2005
Designers Block, London, September 2005
RCA, window exhibition, bus route 52, 9 and 10 June–July 2005
Brighton Festival, Biscuit Studio, Hove, May 2003, 2004, 2005
Salone di Mobile Satellites, Milan - April 2004, 2005
Design Workshops
Assembling technology kits with beekeepers, Technology Will Save Us 2013
Designing with Beekeepers, Honey Club Wolff Olins 2012
Users as Designers, Digital Shoreditch 2012
Users creating devices for citizen science, Future Everything, Manchester 2012
Users as Designers, Clip-it-on, 3D printing in retail, Look Mum No Hands 2012
User centred banking, Barclays, Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication, 2012
What is Good Design? PS I am 6, Ocklynge School, 2012
HCI Thinking in Schools, mixed schools, Google 2011
Design a Fish: Approaches to Conceptual Design, University of Sussex, 2011
Design for Protection, Riot police, Belgium, d3o, 2011
Design Interventions, Newcastle University, 2011
Design for the Everyday, Supernormal, University of Plymouth, 2011
Creativity Through Play, six secondary schools, 2010
Design for Disability, staff training at the BBC, 2008–9
Let's Make, mixed schools, V&A, 2006–8
Devices for the Elderly, Nokia, 2005
Made in Nigeria, The British Council 2005
Globally Run Workshops
Rob has conducted workshops at prestigious institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford, and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, as well as with UK organisations like the Wildlife Trusts and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. He has collaborated with water agencies, national Fab Labs, and maker spaces across the EU. His work has taken him across various cultures, including India, Nigeria, Nepal, the EU, Canada, Tokyo, and the USA. For over eight years, Rob has also designed commercially for Team GB, contributing to the Olympic teams in sports such as BMX, mountain biking, downhill skiing, snowboarding, parkour, and bobsleigh. His extensive experience ensures high-quality industry-research connections and effective design strategies.
External collaborations
Rob has managed various commercial projects for notable clients, including DuPont, Life is Good (£50,000), Save the Children (£30,000), Sonos (£30,000), Visa (£30,000), Anglepoise, and Nike (£10,000), as well as Visit England (£5,000). His work spans both national and international contexts, conducted individually and collaboratively. He has engaged with diverse audiences, from entomologists and scientists to producers and financial experts, working with participants aged 6 to 85, from novices to CEOs.