I am a Research Associate at Rural Lab based in the GSA Highlands and Islands, Forres. I completed my Masters in Design Innovation and Environmental Design from the Glasgow School of Art in 2023. Since then, I have a growing interest in participatory research for craft, care & wellbeing and social innovation. I worked as an Innovation designer at the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre (DHI) in 2024 and then joined Rural Lab from 2025. Additionally, I am also an artist and am skilled in origami, material explorations (plastics and biobased materials) and Indian folk-art forms. I believe in the practice of thinking through making and aim to make complex systems tangible to people. I also believe in community-based initiatives and transformation that involve place-based thinking.
Recently, my master’s project on Hyperlocal Community Energy has been accepted as a case study in a a book - Systems Thinking in Design: Frameworks and Methodologies for the Emerging Designers -to be published 2026-27. In 2024, I contributed to the social care portfolio of DHI and explored the significance of “care” in health and wellbeing of all. In 2025, I was leading the research for ‘20 years of GSA Design Innovation’ timeline for the Rural Lab Launch event in 2025. I also attended a summer school at Aalto University to learn about Designing with Nature which shaped my interest in exploring care from the perspective of more-than-human, craft, heritage and environment. At Rural lab, I am working on its emerging project portfolio which spreads across the themes of place, space and time. The 3 main projects of Rural Lab I am assisting on are: The Future as a Crafted Thread with the Scottish Women’s Institute, The Living Colour Map with the Cairngorms National Park Authority and Altitude project in partnership with University of Central Asia.
Additionally, I am undertaking the Learning Design and Teaching Practice in an Art School (PG Course 1) to support the cross-collaboration of research and teaching teams at Altyre campus.
Place-based design, Social innovation, Craft, Care & Wellbeing, Rural life
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