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Dr Jak Spencer

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  • Dr Jak Spencer

  • Area

    The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design

    Role

    Research Fellow, Leader Social & Global

  • Jak is a Research Fellow and leader of the Social & Global Research Space at the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design. His research interests lie in developing the methods and tools of people-centred design to solve global social challenges. At its core – using design to benefit society. 

  • Biography

  • Having recently joined the Centre, Jak’s previous work involved helping major global brands innovate by gaining a better understanding of people's needs. His projects have varied and involved valuable applications – from reframing rental propositions for a key London property development, to understanding the future of media consumption for a major UK broadcaster. Jak has also led creative thinking, brand strategy and product innovation workshops for global businesses that include Google, Facebook, Sainsbury’s and IKEA.

    Jak has a PhD in design for behaviour change from Loughborough University, which focused on understanding how behaviour change strategies could be used to reduce household energy consumption. This led him to undertake research in India and spend time as a visiting researcher in Brazil. His work has been published and disseminated globally.

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  • Publications, exhibitions and other outcomes

  • Publications:
    Spencer, J., Lilley, D. and C. S. Porter. (2015) Implications of Cultural Differences in Laundry Behaviours for Design for Sustainable Behaviour: A study between the UK, India and Brazil. International Journal of Sustainable Engineering. Taylor & Francis. Available here 

    Spencer, J. (2015.)The Sustainable Design Potential of Leapfrogging: Observations from laundry behaviours in Brazil, India and the UK. Social Science Research Network. Available here

    Spencer, J. (2014) Exploring the Implications of Cultural Context for Design for Sustainable Behaviour. PhD Thesis. Design School. Loughborough University. Available here

    Haines, V., Spencer, J. & C. Lawton. (2014) Domestic Thermal Comfort: A literature review. Internal Report for The Energy Technologies Institute

    Spencer, J. (2013) Exploring Laundry Habits in Brazil, India and the UK: How cultural insights can guide consumer product use. Sustainable Brands: Issues in Focus.

    Conference Proceedings
    Spencer, J. (2014) Future London Taxi: A People-Centred Approach to Design Engineering. Advanced Engineering Show. Birmingham NEC

    Spencer, J., Lilley, D. & C. S. Porter. (2013) The Opportunities Different Cultural Contexts Create for Sustainable Design. 16th Conference of the European Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul

    Spencer, J. & Lilley, D. (2012) The Effect of Culture on Sustainable Behaviour in a Design Context. 2nd PERL International Conference, Technische Universität, Berlin

    Articles
    Haynes, Spencer, J. & Lawson (2014). Domestic Thermal Comfort: A Literature Review    

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