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Prof Tom Inns

Chair in Design

 
BIOGRAPHY
INTERESTS
OUTPUTS
TEACHING

 
BIOGRAPHY

Tom Inns is Professor of Design at the University of Dundee and Director of the AHRC & EPSRC funded Designing for the 21st Century Research Initiative. He has a degree in Engineering (University of Bristol), a Masters in Industrial Design Engineering (Royal College of Art & Imperial College) and a PHD in Innovation Enhancement of Small Companies (Brunel University). He is a Chartered Engineer, member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Tom started his career with Rolls-Royce PLC (Aeroengines). After completing his Masters in 1990 he worked as a designer and researcher on a variety projects in which design was used as a problem solving process, these projects explored new architectural products, consumer goods, agricultural equipment, recycled materials and social issues such as the problem of solvent abuse. He was appointed as Director of the Design Research Centre (DRC), Brunel University in 1996. At the DRC he worked extensively with small companies through, the then, TCS programme and developed a series of design audit methodologies with the Design Council, Business Links and DTI. In 2000 he was appointed as Professor of Design Research at the University of Dundee. Between 2001 and 2004 he was Head of the School of Design and helped establish the University of Dundee's pioneering new programmes in Innovative Product Design and Interactive Media Design. In 2004 he was appointed as Director of the AHRC & EPSRC funded Designing for the 21st Century Initiative. He has a strong research interest in the future of design and the way design is used as a strategic tool within business. He leads a portfolio of research projects in this area and runs postgraduate modules in design led product & service innovation and product development at both the University of Dundee and University of St Andrews School of Management