#39 Dec 2 2021

There is a new type of science fiction out there, and it's very different from what typically comes to mind when we think of "sci-fi".

In this talk, Steph discusses Solarpunk as an activist movement and as a literary subgenre — and what it means for us as we experience the effects of climate change.

About Steph

Steph is an independent strategist and researcher. Currently she is a senior research consultant with Healthily, a health startup based in London. Prior to that, she was a senior researcher on contract at Google, working on their internal product suite that keeps Google’s services up 99.999% of the time. She was the Head of Research at Clearleft, working with clients such as Spotify, Virgin Holidays and Greater London Authority. She also previously led design research at the Telegraph and spearheaded European customer research with MailChimp. In 2020, she took a writing sabbatical to make progress on a book on storytelling techniques and product strategy.

In 20 years of working in the digital industry, Steph has worn many hats, including the product lead for a startup in digital publishing and a director of technology at a digital agency in Montreal. She is also a regular speaker at conferences and guest lectures annually at the University of Greenwich. She has a completely unrelated addiction to writing science-fiction short stories. When not bound to a digital device, she makes things by hand, grows edible flowers and has a tendency to cook enough to feed a continent at a time. She now lives on her fourth continent on her fourth island in the UK.

The importance of learning your tools, honing your craft and the value of failure.

About Shaun

Shaun is a designer and artist. With a passion for automotive design, at a revolutionary time in the industry, he currently works as Visualisation Lead for Arrival - a company radically changing the way electric vehicles are designed and manufactured. Having graduated from Loughborough University with a degree in Industrial Design, Shaun has spent the years that followed further developing his skill set, creating design concepts that inhabit his fictional world of an alternate reality Earth. He is also the founder and director of start-up online school of design - Almond.

Going full-time freelance can be challenging enough, but taking the plunge to bring your ideas to life as physical, sellable products can be even more intimidating. In this talk, Geri will discuss how she switched her career focus to turn her lifetime passion into a livelihood.

About Geri

Geri is a colour-obsessed Canadian illustrator and designer living in Nottingham, UK. A former ad agency art director, she has worked with companies such as Simply Accessible, Microsoft, Google, Nokia Withings, Scholastic, and A List Apart; as well as numerous magazines including Courier and Standart. She is the author of Color Accessibility Workflows by A Book Apart and was voted net Magazine’s Designer of the Year in 2014. Her side business, Geri Draws Japan, showcases her love for Japanese culture through original art prints, pins, stationery and more.

About David

David Pearson is a book designer and teacher.

He has been listed as one of Britain’s Top 50 Designers by the Guardian and named by Debrett’s as one of Britain’s 500 most influential people. He is a member of AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale) and was appointed Royal Designer for Industry in 2015.