Professor Adam Thorpe
Title
Professor
College
University of the Arts London
Email address
Tags
Researcher Research
Biography
Adam is Professor in Socially Responsive Design at University of the Arts London. He is Creative Director of the Design Against Crime Research Centre and Director of the Bikeoff Research Initiative, which seeks to find new ways for design to reduce the incidence of cycle theft. Adam also founded and directs the Socially Responsive Design Hub, located within DACRC, which is engaged in practice-led research into the role of design in delivery of social benefit.As Principal Investigator on the AHRC/EPSRC funded portfolio project Bikeoff 2, delivered with colleagues from both DACRC and the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science at UCL, his research was awarded the Transport for London Sustainable Transport Award in 2007 for Best Cycling Initiative and selected for a UK Research Impact Award in 2009, shortlisted in the Environmental Impact category. Cited as an exemplary project by the AHRC, Bikeoff 2 pioneered new ways of communicating and working with diverse stakeholders, dutyholders and designers bringing design theory, practice and research together in a process of ‘open’ and socially responsive research innovation.
His work for the Centre includes the generation of academic papers, publications and design resources for industry and education. Also, the creation of DAC design benchmarks , including the Karrysafe range of anti-theft bags and accessories (2001), the Puma anti-theft bike (2005) and Bikeoff anti-theft bike stands (2008). Adam has directed numerous socially responsive design research projects, many focusing on the promotion of cycling and health. His research focus is practice-led and linked to the development of models of socially responsive design innovation and knowledge transfer.
In his private design practice Adam is co-founder and designer, with Joe Hunter, of Vexed Generation and Vexed Design (1993 – current). In the early 90s Vexed pioneered the concepts of ‘urban utility’ and ‘urban mobility’ within apparel and accessory design, creating garments and products that communicate concern for society and environment whilst improving an individual’s experience of it, often linked to accommodation of multi-modal lifestyles, with a particular emphasis on getting around the city without a car.
Vexed have taken over 20 collections to market, stocking leading fashion stores worldwide, and their designs have appeared in numerous international publications and exhibitions including: Vexed Parka Triptych, Fashion Space Gallery, London (2010), Archaeology of the Future, Paris/Eindhoven (2009), Fashion V Sport, Victoria and Albert Museum, London (2008/09), Skin and Bones: Parallel Practices In Fashion and Architecture, London (2008), Safe – Design Takes On Risk, Museum of Modern Art, New York (2005), and The Supermodern Wardrobe, Victoria and Albert Museum, London (2003).
Amongst his consultancy roles Adam has worked with several global sports and luxury brands including Puma International (Germany) for whom he conceived and designed their ‘Urban Mobility’ collection in 2004. Current projects include creative direction of a commuter clothing collection for Transport for London (UK), apparel development with Biomega (DK), and development of performance fightwear apparel for Luta Ltd a social enterprise linked to Fight For Peace, a UK charity working in London and Rio de Janeiro to provide practical alternatives to crime and organised armed violence for children and youth in disadvantaged communities through sports and education.
Between 2006 and 2010 Adam Chaired the DIGITEX project, an EU 6th Framework research project exploring the concept of ‘digital finishing’ of textiles. The project has delivered technology that enables multiple, and localised, finishes and functionalities to be applied to textile substrates with great savings in the amount of chemicals and water used.
Grants and awards
(Figures indicate amount awarded to UAL)
- Erasmus+, A Knowledge Alliance between HEIs, Makers and Manufacturers to boost Open Design & Open Manufacturing in Europe, £111,541.50, (2017-2020)
- Erasmus+ - Key Action 2 - Knowledge Alliances, Open Design and Manufacturing: OD&M, €984.86, (2017-2019)
- Arts and Humanities Research Council, Disseminating 'Design Thinking for Prison Industries' through Teaching Resources, Business Models and Training for Trainers, £79,838.10, (2017-2018)
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Public Collaboration Lab, £384,508.00, (2015-2016)
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), FIRE.Digital: Digital Research Platform for Collaborative Fashion Innovation, £80,127.00, (2015-2015)
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Design Thinking for Prison Industries: Exchanging design tools, methods and processes with prisons in London and Ahmedabad to build inmate resilience, £20,732.71, (2014-2015)
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), FIREup: Fashion Innovation Research and Enterprise, £200,814.00, (2013-2014)
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), UK network for design led social innovation for sustainability (DESIS - UK), £34,381.23, (2012-2013)
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Bike Off 2 - Catalysing anti theft bike, bike parking and information design for the 21st century, £323,918.00, (2006-2008)
Research Outputs
Art/Design item
- Thorpe A. Luta Fightwear Collection (2012)
- Gamman L, Willcocks M, Thorpe A, Thomas C, Wischusen J, Hansis G, Yuille P. Design Against Crime (2007)
- Thorpe A, Hunter J. Puma/Vexed Urban Mobility Range (a) Urban Mobility apparel collections x 3 (b) Puma/Vexed/Biomega tri-branded accessories collection and (c) a similarly tri-branded Puma Bike (2006)
- Thorpe A, Hunter J. See and Be Seen (SABS) Collection (2005)
- Thorpe A, Gamman L, Hunter J. Karrysafe Bags and Accessories Collection: Performance Design to Combat Crime (2002)
Article
- Thorpe A, Manzini E. Weaving People and Places: Art and Design for Resilient Communities (2018)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. Makeright - Bags of Connection: Teaching Design Thinking and Making in Prison to Help Build Empathic and Resilient Communities (2018)
- Thorpe A, Rhodes S. The Public Collaboration Lab - Infrastructuring Redundancy with Communities-in-Place (2018)
- Thorpe A, Prendiville A, Salinas L, Rhodes S. Anatomy of local government/design education collaboration (2017)
- Arroyo Moliner L, Galdon Clavell G, Willcocks M, Toylan G, Thorpe A. The Hands Behind the Cans (2015)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. Building Resilience of Returning Citizens: Creative ways to survive prison and thrive outside without crime (2015)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. Design for Democratic Crime Prevention (2014)
- Thorpe A, Gamman L. Walking with Park: Exploring the ‘reframing’ and integration of CPTED principles in neighbourhood regeneration in Seoul, South Korea (2013)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A, Malpass M, Liparova E. Hey Babe – Take a Walk on the Wild Side!: Why Role-playing and Visualization of User and Abuser “Scripts” Offer Useful Tools to Effectively “Think Thief” and Build Empathy to Design Against Crime (2012)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. Editorial: socially responsive design (2011)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. Design with society: why socially responsive design is good enough. (2011)
- Thorpe A. Case study: bikeoff (2011)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. Less Is More: What Design Against Crime Can Contribute To Sustainability (2009)
Book Section
- Thorpe A, Gamman L. Power (2020)
- Willcocks M, Ekblom P, Thorpe A. Less Crime, More Vibrancy, by Design (2019)
- Thorpe A. Tricky like a Leprachaun – Navigating the Paradoxes of Public Service Innovation (2018)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. Is ‘nudge’ as good as ‘we think’ in designing against crime? - contrasting paternalistic and fraternalistic approaches to design for behaviour change. (2017)
- Thorpe A, Gamman L. What is "Socially Responsive Design and Innovation"? (2016)
- Thorpe A, Prendiville A, Rhodes S, Salinas L. Public Collaboration Lab (2016)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. Could Design Help to Promote and Build Empathic Processes in Prison? Understanding the Role of Empathy and Design in Catalysing Social Change and Transformation (2015)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. "Design for Empathy" – Exploring the Potential of Participatory Design for Fostering Restorative Values and Contributing to Restorative Process (2015)
- Thorpe A. Fashioning Publics: The Socially Responsive Design Practice of Vexed Generation (2014)
- Thorpe A, Gamman L. Learning Together: Students And Community Groups Co-Designing For Carbon Reduction In The London Borough Of Camden (2013)
- Thorpe A, Sidebottom A, Johnson SD. Designing Against Bicycle Theft (2012)
- Ekblom P, Bowers KJ, Gamman L, Sidebottom A, Thomas C, Thorpe A, Willcocks M. Reducing bag theft in bars (2012)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. Criminality and creativity: what’s at stake in designing against crime? (2010)
- Thorpe A, Gamman L, Ekblom P, Johnson SD, Sidebottom A. Bike Off 2 – catalysing anti-theft bike, bike parking and information design for the 21st century: an open innovation research approach (2009)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. Liberty versus safety: a design review (2007)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. Design Against Crime as Socially Responsive Theory and Practice (2006)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. Less is more: what design against crime can contribute to sustainability.
Conference, Symposium or Workshop item
- Salinas L, Thorpe A, Prendiville A, Rhodes S. Civic engagement as participation in designing for services (2018)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. Open innovation and participation in socially responsive art and design practice (2011)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. You’re not my Dad - and I wouldn’t do what you told me to even if you were – design fraternalism versus design paternalism (2011)
- Thorpe A, Gamman L. Retail loss prevention and safety seminar for small business (2011)
- Thorpe A, Gamman L. Expected future trends in retail theft and prevention (2011)
- Thorpe A, Gamman L. Design Against Crime: a review (2011)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. Green week (2011)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. Design Against Crime as socially responsive design (2010)
- Thorpe A. Stop thief chairs (2010)
- Thorpe A. Socially responsive design hub (2010)
- Thorpe A. Socially responsive design hub (2010)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. Design against crime as socially responsive design for public space (2007)
- Thorpe A. Don't give thieves an easy ride: a Design Against Crime practice review (2007)
Report
- Gamman L, Thorpe A. London higher social engagement case studies: Camden M stands by Bikeoff (2010)
- Thorpe A, Willcocks M. Study of ‘Bikeoff’ anti-theft programme in Brighton
- Malpass M, Thorpe A, Follows C, Read T, Haywood P, Munro Kerr R, Griffith C, Gunasekera P. Open Design and Manufacturing: UAL Overview
Show/Exhibition
- Willcocks M, Gamman L, Thorpe A. Makeright: making bags to make good (2017)
- Gamman L, Thorpe A, Willcocks M. Design Against ATM Crime (2011)
- Gamman L, Willcocks M, Thorpe A, Ekblom P. Demonstrating the role of design in crime reduction (2011)
- Thorpe A. Demonstrating the role of design in crime reduction (2011)
- Thorpe A. Re-Inventing the Bike Shed
Teaching
Current research students
- Joana Casaca Lemos, Communication Design for Sustainability: Exploring the Role of Communication Design in Catalyzing Engagement and Participation. (Lead supervisor)
- Rosemary Wallin, Sustainable heritage and innovation for future luxury. (Lead supervisor)