Dr Nick Spencer

My research relates to Design for Social Innovation. Specifically, my work engages with the complexities of transition; the conflicting views and influence of different people and organisations and their collective roles in realising fairer, responsible and more rewarding futures. Through a practice based approach my research explores how capabilities can be developed and embedded that initiate desirable transition and help non-design experts to continue an appropriate design practice within their professional or community setting.

I have expertise in Design Thinking and Design Innovation, topics I am invited to speak about to academic, corporate and public sector audiences. I am often commissioned to lead projects that bring the public and multiple organisations together to examine and respond creatively and strategically to complex situations. I am part of a range of significant European networks interested in Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship and leverage these to support the scaling and dissemination of new practice and exciting initiatives.

• Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
• Final degree shows: culmination or invitation?, Simmons, H., Bailey, M., Spencer, N., Hemstock, O., Mutambo, N. 7 Sep 2023, DS 123, Glasgow, The Design Society
• ‘Safe spaces and places’: the value of design-led methodologies in developing online narratives, Oswald, R., Soppitt, S., Spencer, N., Powell, L., Richardson, C., Coombs, S. 23 Jan 2023, In: International Journal of Social Research Methodology
• Taking the pulse of responsible design: exhibitions as a critical discourse venue, Simmons, H., Bailey, M., Spencer, N. 7 Sep 2023, DS 123, Glasgow, The Design Society
• Creative and collaborative reflective thinking to support policy deliberation and decision making, Spaa, A., Spencer, N., Durrant, A., Vines, J. 1 May 2022, In: Evidence and Policy
• Design-led Innovation Readiness: priming small to medium-sized enterprises for strategic innovation, Bailey, M., Spencer, N., Carrion-Weiss, J., Arakelyan, A., Carter, A. 25 Apr 2022, Academic Design Management Conference ADMC22
• Design-led Innovation Readiness: priming micro SMEs for strategic innovation, Arakelyan, A., Carrion-Weiss, J., Carter, A., Bailey, M., Spencer, N. 2022, In: Design Management Journal
• Design Listening: what designers hear and how they respond, Carrion-Weiss, J., Bailey, M., Spencer, N. 7 Dec 2022, [ ] With Design: Reinventing Design Modes, Singapore, Springer
• Innovation Constellations as a systems approach to social design infrastructuring, Spencer, N., Simmons, H., Bailey, M., Hemstock, O., Carrion-Weiss, J. 20 Jul 2022, In: Academic Design Management Conference Proceedings
• Introduction: An Overview of the Research, Păunescu, C., Lepik, K., Spencer, N. 5 Jan 2022, Social Innovation in Higher Education, Cham, Switzerland, Springer
• Management framework for higher education institution-based community innovation labs, Păunescu, C., Ruohonen, A., Spencer, N., Vavură, N. 1 Oct 2022, In: Management and Marketing

• Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
• Birmingham - HAF Plus – Co-designing a HAF Plus Service Blueprint and Policy, with Secondary School Pupils and Experts, of Holiday and Out of School Provision, Defeyter, G. (Principal Investigator), Spencer, N. (Co Investigator), Street Games, 0.00
• London - HAF Plus – Co-designing a HAF Plus Service Blueprint and Policy, with Secondary School Pupils and Experts, of Holiday and Out of School Provision, Defeyter, G. (Principal Investigator), Spencer, N. (Co Investigator), Mayor’s fund for London, 0.00
• Northumberland - HAF Plus – Co-designing a HAF Plus Service Blueprint and Policy, with Secondary School Pupils and Experts, of Holiday and Out of School Provision, Defeyter, G. (Principal Investigator), Spencer, N. (Co Investigator), Northumberland County Council, 0.00
• Creative Spark partnerhsip fund, Bailey, M. (Principal Investigator), Spencer, N. (Co Investigator), British Council, 05/11/20 - 30/06/23, £19,951.00
• Creative Fuse North East (AHRC funded), Bailey, M. (Principal Investigator), Spencer, N. (Co Investigator), Newcastle University, 01/02/20 - 31/07/22, 0.00
• ERDF: Creative Fuse North East 2 (see also CRP0755 AHRC), Bailey, M. (Principal Investigator), Spencer, N. (Co Investigator), Newcastle University, 01/02/20 - 31/07/22, 0.00
• Creative Spark: Get Ready to Innovate Armenia, Bailey, M. (Principal Investigator), Spencer, N. (Co Investigator), British Council, 09/10/18 - 31/07/19, £49,924.00
• Project Legacy Sprint, Bailey, M. (Principal Investigator), Spencer, N. (Co Investigator), Northumbrian Water, 08/05/17 - 12/05/17, £2,000.00
• Global Entrepreneurial Talent Management 3 MSCA RISE Project No 734824, Pearce, A. (Principal Investigator), Spencer, N. (Co Investigator), European Commission, 14/12/16 - 30/12/20, £769,355.00
• Creativity Works (ERDF), Bailey, M. (Principal Investigator), Spencer, N. (Co Investigator), European Commission, 01/06/16 - 28/01/19, £229,779.00

• Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
• Organising a conference, workshop, ...: COST CA18236 Working Group 1- Multi-disciplinary innovation for social change 2023
• Organising a conference, workshop, ...: European Cooperation in Science and Technology CA18236 - Multi-disciplinary innovation for social change (SHIINE) 2022
• Organising a conference, workshop, ...: Hartlepool Mental Health Alliance 2021
• Consultancy: Enterprise Education Policy Challenges, Opportunities and Recommendations in the Republic of Armenia 2019
• Organising a conference, workshop, ...: British Council Enterprise education Policy Dialogue workshop 2019
• Organising a conference, workshop, ...: GETM3 Sandpit Northumbria 2017 2017

• Felipe Schmidt Fonseca Generous cities – weaving commons-oriented systems for the reuse of excess materials in urban contexts Start Date: 22/11/2021
• Brogan Ogilvie Towards an understanding of how design may resist and challenge the hegemony of neoliberal logics, through the generation of knowledge in relation to moral truth. Start Date: 01/10/2021
• Jacob Goff Postphenomenology and Fashion: Clothing as Mediator Between Body and World Start Date: 25/09/2020 End Date: 19/04/2023
• Emelia Erland Start Date: 25/09/2020 End Date: 05/02/2021
• Oliver Hemstock Exploring the strategic value of slow design: understanding potential benefits within a commercial setting Start Date: 01/10/2015 End Date: 29/07/2020
• Ashleigh Bentham A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study Creating a Framework of Prominent Themes of Responsibility Within UK-Based Postgraduate Design-Led Innovation Programmes Start Date: 01/10/2015 End Date: 26/06/2022

• Design Studies PhD March 31 2009
• Teaching & Learning PCAPL November 04 2004
• Design Studies BA (Hons) June 30 2002

• Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
• European Cooperation in Science & Technology funded project related to Multi-disciplinary innovation for social change. I lead the group concerned with design approaches to social innovation and social entrepreneurship.
• DESIS Labs are groups of academics, researchers and students who orient their design and research activities towards social innovation. They operate at the local scale with local partners and, in collaboration with other DESIS Labs, they actively participate in large-scale projects and programs. I lead the Northumbria DESIS lab.