Dr Rafiq Elmansy

Profile

I am a Lecturer in Graphic Digital and Communication Design and a book author with more than nine years of academic teaching and supervising students at undergraduate, postgraduate taught (master), and postgraduate research (PhD) levels.

Study background
I hold a PhD in Design from Northumbria University, focusing on the role of design thinking in improving patient adherence to self-administered treatment health technology. I developed the Adherence Canvas, a tool for companies to measure the consideration of adherence during the product development process. I also hold an MA in Design Management with a Distinction from Staffordshire University. My dissertation focused on identifying the barriers facing SMEs in Egypt's creative sector.

Teach background
I contributed to developing and teaching in several design programmes at four universities: The American University in Cairo, Northumbria University, Wrexham Glyndwr University, and the University of Leeds. These programmes included Graphic Design, Design Management and Luxury Brand Management.
My teaching involves various design subjects, including interaction design, UX design, design thinking, graphic design, design prototyping, and design management. My teaching philosophy is based on a reflective practice approach informed by search-led teaching and teaching-led research strategies.

Research activities
My research funds and activities involve design for health, the applications of AI in healthcare, improving patient adherence and empowerment. I am collaborating with several organisations and companies, including:

• National Health Service (NHS)
• Health Innovation Network
• National Institute of Health Research (NIHR)
• Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT)
• NIHR Leeds Biomedical Research Centre
• Sunderland Teaching Hospitals Trust, Philips Medical,
• Newcastle University, and Centre of Process Innovation (CPI).

My research also involves behavioural design and the implementation of behavioural theories in driving behaviour change and habit formation in various fields. Currently, I'm involved in Back to Baselines in Circular Fashion and Textiles (Leeds Institute of Textile and Colour) in the role of educational workshops on habitual buying behaviour.

Book publications:
I'm a published author of several digital design and technology books for many publishers, such as John Wiley, Taylor and Francis, and Elsevier. My books and articles were translated into several languages. I'm also the founder of Designorate.com, a website that teaches design and design thinking tools for innovation.

Industrial experience:
Before joining academia, I had 20 years of experience in the design industry. I worked on several design projects and collaborated with international companies and organisations, including the UN, World Bank, Adobe, and Pearson Certiport.

For several years, I worked closely with Adobe as Adobe Educational Leader, working to improve creative education through technology. I have also been a jury board member in several international design competitions, including the A' Design Award, Poster for Tomorrow and Adobe Design Achievement Award (ADAA).

Responsibilities

• MA Design Programme Leader
• AI and Design Module Leader
• Design Prototyping and Evaluation Module Leader

Research interests

Research Areas Interests:

Design for Health

• The wide applications of design healthcare and health technology include patient empowerment and patient-centred care, the applications of AI in healthcare, improving patient adherence and behaviour change, and the design of self-administered interventions.

Behavioural Design

• The wide applications of behavioural design in driving people’s behaviour and habit formation in different industries and social contexts.

AI and Design

• The applications of AI in the design context include interaction design, human-AI interaction, and the involvement of AI in the design thinking process. This consists of the ethical and guidelines applications of AI.

Design Innovation

• The applications of design in business, consumer-centred products and services, and value-creation. Driving strategic innovation and the applications of design management principles in business.

Post-Graduate Research (PhD) Supervision

• Yunlu Liu (secondary supervision), project: Design for improving Digital Trust.
• Wei Yang (main supervisor), project: the impact of sustainable fashion marketing strategies on consumer loyalty: a case study of small and medium sized apparel enterprises.
• Robert Jones (secondary supervision), thesis: The Optimisation of Operations & Maintenance Management Strategies within the Wind Power Sector through Artificial Intelligence (External, Chester University)

Recent Workshops and Activites

• May 2025, (Presentation) Taking Control of Diabetes Through Technology, International Clinical Trial Day. NIHR Leeds Biomedical Research Centre.
• April 2025, (Fund workshop), Habitual Buying – Back to Baselines in Circular Fashion and Textiles. IAE Savoie Mont Blanc, Annecy, France.
• April 2025, (Patient and Public Involvment), presentation of Noctura 400, a treatment for diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.
• March 2025, (Fund workshop), Habitual Buying – Back to Baselines in Circular Fashion and Textiles. School of Business, University of Leeds.
• December 2024, International Symposium 'Caring Machines' (participation), Edinburgh University.
• Elmansy, R. and English, S. (2021). Improving Adherence in Self-Administered Treatment Technology Through Design. European Healthcare Design 2021 Congress. Online. http://bit.ly/AdherenceCPoster
• English, S. and Elmansy, R. (2021). Designing for patient empowerment in the face of SARS-Covid-19 challenges: Noctura 400 case study. European Healthcare Design 2021 Congress. Online. http://bit.ly/Noctura400

Qualifications

• PhD in Design
• MA Design Management

Professional memberships

• Fellow, Higher Education Academy
• Fellow, Royal Society of the Arts
• Member, Design Research Society
• Member, Adobe Educational Leaders

Student education

I am the programme leader for the MA Design programme, one of the largest programmes at the University of Leeds. I am also a module leader for several core and optional modules in the programme.
As part of my role, I am a member of several teaching committees, such as the School Taught Student Education Committee (STSEC) and the Student Education Partnership Forum (SEF).

I also teach at the Professional Academy for Creative Enterprise (PACE), where I teach online courses and short on-campus courses.

Current postgraduate researchers

• Yunlu Liu