Dr Arjun Khara

Profile

I am an Associate Professor of Communication, Information, and Digital Design, and the Deputy Head of School (Academic and Innovation) at the School of Design. I am also the Programme Leader on the BA Art and Design programme. I completed my PhD at the Department of Typography and Graphic Communication, University of Reading. My thesis was on designing for fairness in digital government forms and apps issued during and after COVID-19 in Singapore. This research led to the creation of ‘Fairness Design,’ a new model for analysing digital government forms and documents. During this time I was also working as an associate lecturer, teaching on modules for film poster design, history of graphic communication, and design practice. I have an MA in Computer Games Art and Design from Goldsmiths, University of London (Valedictorian Orator) and a BA in Communications, Media and Culture (Golden Key International Honour Society) from the University of South Australia.

Before coming to the United Kingdom, I worked at the Quantico Centre for Communication and Information Literacy as a communications and multimedia specialist in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Industries include digital and entertainment, pharmaceuticals, technology, government, finance, hospitality, education, automotive, charities, and NGOs. My clients include Google, AccorHotels, Audi, Government of Brunei, KPMG, Deloitte, Toyota, Bayer, Singapore Airlines, Marina Bay Sands, Changi Airport, The Supreme Court, National University of Singapore, and the Ministries of Defence, Education, and Communications and Information. Later on, I worked as a learning and development consultant for web and multimedia platforms, VR, and AR experiences in training and consumer environments. Within this role I supported organisations with understanding and implementing artificial intelligence systems in design, gaming, education, and assessments.

Currently, my teaching and research at the University of Leeds integrates industry expertise with academic practices to provide well-rounded, holistic perspectives for students, academic communities, and industry partners.

Responsibilities

• Deputy Head of School: Academic and Innovation
• PACE Associate Director (Business)
• Artificial Intelligence Working Group Lead

Research interests

My key research interests are in the intersections between Care Aesthetics and technology, specifically Artificial Intelligence in Design and Society, AR and VR Experiences, Gaming and Multimedia Platforms, Web Design and Programming, and ‘Fairness Design’. Fairness Design is a new model for analysing digital government forms and apps to create fairer interactions between issuers and users. ‘Fairness Design’ was my original contribution to knowledge and output of my PhD thesis. The model has since been extended to other document genres and I am exploring its applications within ethical dimensions related to AI and cognate nascent technologies.

I am a co-investigator in an EPSRC-funded cross-disciplinary research team, between the School of Computing and School of Design, analysing data visualisation in artificial intelligence environments. My research into technology and digital platforms overlaps significantly with multimedia, copywriting, branding, web design, and information design theories and practices. I am presently developing CPD-related training systems as an academic contributor and Creative Lead at the School of Design’s new Professional Academy for Creative Enterprises (PACE). I am also lead of the Artificial Intelligence Working Group (AIWG) at the School of Design, managing a team of academics, researchers, practitioners, and programmers to integrate AI across various facets and operations, from ethics, academic policy and assessment to coding, designing, and skills-building for staff and students.

I welcome enquiries from potential students interested in researching artificial intelligence in design and society, as well as students with a keen interest in digital government design, and branding and packaging (please see the next section on Student Education).

Qualifications

• PhD Typography and Graphic Communication
• MA Computer Games Design (Valedictorian Orator)
• BA Communication, Media and Culture (Golden Key Hons.)

Professional memberships

• Golden Key International Honour Society
• Adobe Certified Professional

Student education

• Early Career Excellence Award 2024: University Winner
• Teacher or Supervisor of the Year 2024: University Winner
• Teacher or Supervisor of the Year 2024: AHC Faculty Winner

My work fuses philosophies of fairness and care aesthetics with design and technology. I explore how we can extract more meaningful experiences from society, systems, and interactions through other-regarding approaches. This led me to re-imagine the relationships between care aesthetics and design pedagogies as powerful pathways to engage learners on multiple levels. My teaching methods thus centre around drawing students’ attention to the specialness of everyday lived moments as touchpoints for deeper learning encounters.

I am the Programme Leader for the BA Art and Design and module leader and tutor for core taught modules across the BA programmes at the School of Design. I supervise PhD, masters, and final-year undergraduate students. I previously served as academic lead for the Study Abroad exchange programme at the School of Design, prior to being appointed as the Deputy Head of School. As Deputy Head of School for academic and innovation I am responsible for student experiences, and work with the School's senior management team to help build consistent and robust environments for students and staff at the School of Design, particularly focusing on digital experiences.

I also serve as the academic lead for graphic and technical matters, and manage software workshops for staff and students on graphic design, animation, video, and web-development software across the Adobe Creative Suite. As such, I welcome queries from potential research students interested in multimedia specialities, artificial intelligence in design, AR and VR experiences, digital government communication, information design systems, graphic design and communication, interactive design, and branding.