Ava Watson is a Lecturer in Design Leadership and Year 2 Lead for the BA (Hons) Design Management programme at London College of Communication (UAL). She is also an Associate Lecturer across several postgraduate programmes, including MA Service Design, MA Graphic Branding and Identity, and MA User Experience Design. She is a Royal College of Art graduate (MA Information Experience Design) and University of Applied Arts Vienna (Transmedia Art), whose award‑winning work spans art, design, research, service design, and experience design. Her teaching experience extends internationally, including roles at Goldsmiths, University of London, Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Imperial College London, Lamar Dodd School of Design, University of Georgia, and Folkwang University.
Ava’s professional practice bridges academia, creative consultancy, and design production. She has collaborated with renowned studios and organisations such as United Visual Artists (UVA), RANDOM INTERNATIONAL, Condé Nast, Rapha, V&A, Nesta, Hannah Marshall Studio, Cinimod Studio and FRAME Magazine. These collaborations have shaped her interdisciplinary approach to design and teaching, where concept, craft, and context converge.
Her teaching philosophy centres on the belief that design education should be critically engaged, inclusive, and transformative. She treats pedagogy as a collaborative process, fostering curiosity, creative confidence, empathy, and adaptability. Her methods combine conceptual research with practical exploration, including workshops, design sprints, and iterative critique, with a strong focus on scaffolding student development and embracing diverse perspectives. Ava’s commitment to inclusive education is informed by years of teaching across diverse cultural contexts and learner groups. She strives to create equitable learning environments that nurture agency, amplify underrepresented voices, and equip students to address complex social and ecological challenges through design and creativity.
Beyond teaching, Ava is founding 'Resonance Foundation', a charity dedicated to providing creative opportunities to students aged 11–16 from underrepresented and neurodivergent backgrounds. Her practice continues to explore how design can advance sustainability, equity, and collective care.
View the BA (Hons) Design Management course page.