Anonymous

Skills

Please see above

About

Dear Hiring Committee,

I am writing to apply for the position of Senior Lecturer in Design Thinking at the University of Bristol. I bring a multidisciplinary background spanning fine art, digital design, spatial project management, and technology-enhanced teaching, alongside active prototyping practice in app and product development. My work centres on embedding design thinking as a rigorous, applied methodology that prepares students to operate confidently within contemporary, hybrid creative industries.

My foundation in Fine Art sculpture at Winchester School of Art established a process-led approach grounded in experimentation, structural thinking, and critical enquiry. Sculpture required systems awareness — understanding material behaviour, spatial interaction, and user engagement — and this continues to shape my pedagogy.

Alongside my academic training, I have substantial industry experience as a freelance designer and playground project manager. Working across brand identity, HTML website design, digital publishing, and spatial design within European Safety Standards (EN 1176 & EN 1177), I led projects from consultation through to installation. These roles demanded user-centred analysis, regulatory compliance, budgeting, stakeholder collaboration, and delivery within real-world constraints. This applied problem-solving perspective which underpins my teaching and curriculum development.

In my current post teaching Art, Photography, Graphics, and Computer Science, I design and deliver interdisciplinary programmes structured around iterative design methodology. Students engage in brand systems, logo development, HTML-based web design, wireframing, and user interface design alongside studio-based practice. I integrate critique as a core professional tool, fostering analytical language, resilience, and adaptive thinking. My technical experience spans traditional workshop machinery, CAD-integrated laser cutting, 3D printing, 3D capture tools, AutoCAD, and VR prototyping with MetaQuest headsets, enabling me to connect conceptual enquiry with fabrication and emerging technologies.

I am currently developing app prototypes and health and safety product solutions, applying rapid iteration, user feedback loops, and compliance-aware design. Maintaining active practice ensures my teaching remains current, industry-relevant, and innovation-led.

I am particularly motivated by the opportunity to contribute to Bristol’s forward-thinking educational programmes through collaborative curriculum development and applied learning approaches. I am confident in leading modules that integrate studio culture, digital innovation, and real-world problem framing. My aim is to support students in becoming critically engaged designers capable of responding creatively and responsibly to complex social and technological challenges.

I would welcome the opportunity to contribute to the continued development of dynamic, industry-facing design education at the University of Bristol.

Yours sincerely,
Jon James Pincombe