Royal College of Art Appoints New Chairs of Design at The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design

Taking up their roles in March 2025, they will bring extensive experience and strong leadership to the Centre, which has been at the forefront of inclusive design research and practice for over 30 years.

The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design (HHCD) is the RCA’s longest-running research centre. It specialises in inclusive design for population ageing, the prevalence of disability, and health and social care, delivering positive impact across society—from individuals and healthcare providers to third-sector organisations and commercial partners.

The Centre’s researchers use design to shape a more inclusive future. Their work includes designing for people across all life stages and diverse communities, partnering with patients and healthcare professionals to tackle pressing medical challenges, and applying practice-led design thinking to drive social change and innovation.

Professors Craig and Chamberlain have collaborated for nearly two decades, co-leading Lab4Living, a pioneering research group based at Sheffield Hallam University.

Professor Claire Craig is Professor of Design and Creative Practice in Health at Sheffield Hallam University and a Visiting Professor at Northumbria University and Bradford University. A qualified occupational therapist, she is a Fellow of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists. Her research explores how design enhances quality of life, particularly for individuals experiencing major life transitions. Her focus on ageing aligns with HHCD initiatives addressing dementia, inclusive toilet design and longevity research.

Professor Paul Chamberlain is Visiting Professor of Design at Sheffield Hallam University and, until September 2024, Co-Director of Lab4Living. He previously served as Director of the university’s Culture, Communication, and Computing Research Institute (2010–2019). His research centres on design for social innovation, with a particular emphasis on healthcare, disability and ageing. His approach has shaped new tools and methods that are both inclusive and commercially viable.

Welcoming the new Chairs, RCA alumna Lady Helen Hamlyn said: ‘I am very pleased to welcome Professors Claire Craig and Paul Chamberlain as joint holders of the Chair of Design at the HHCD, they will bring their various experience in the field of design to continue the ongoing strategic development of the centre to advance human-centred and inclusive design.’

On the appointment of the new Chairs, Professor Christoph Lindner, President & Vice-Chancellor, Royal College of Art said: ‘Professors Craig and Chamberlain bring deep expertise and exciting new thinking to The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, which sits at the very heart of the RCA’s research and innovation ecosystem. As new global challenges emerge, their contributions will be instrumental in ensuring the Centre’s groundbreaking work in inclusive design continues delivering bold, transformative projects that improve lives.’

The Helen Hamlyn Trust, established in 2001 by Lady Helen Hamlyn CBE, initiates major projects with leading organisations and individuals to nurture innovation. The Trust’s grant-making focuses on medical innovation, arts and culture, education, welfare, healthy ageing, humanitarian affairs and heritage conservation in India. Major projects include The Hamlyn Centre & Chair of Surgery at Imperial College London, The Helen Hamlyn Panufnik Composition Scheme with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy (0-11 years) at UCL’s IOE, ARCHiOx at the Bodleian Libraries and EPIC Networks at Oxford University.