Postgraduate UAL MA Interaction Design Student - Graduated Graphic Design at Falmouth University of Arts, First Class Honours, teaches Graphic Design/Communication software and Design Theory. (DBS ✓)

Find out more about Elliott

• Can you tell us about your first experience using a computer?

  My first experience of using a computer was at a relatively young age when I would use my mum's laptop to create animations (using Microsoft paint, believe it or not!). I was infatuated with the endless possibilities that computers had to offer for both, functionality such as programming but also creativity. I can quite happily say I've never looked back since, developing my fascination into a career in Creative Computing!

• What is the technological evolution that has marked you most and what will be, in your eyes, a turning point in this field?

  I think the technological development that impacted me the most was the release of the small, affordable single-board computers by the Raspberry Pi foundation. I was very much an early adopter, fascinated by the idea of creating something that myself, my family and my friends could use to make our lives easier - and smarter! Growing up in a low-income family is difficult, and charities such as the Pi foundation continue to be an inspiration for young people all over the world due to their low price point - I can only hope that I can also go on to inspire and aid young people to get hands-on with computing! Going forward, I believe that the use of AI in our daily lives will influence the way we live and interact with the world and each other - if that's for the best I am not too sure!

• Explain your expertise, your interest in it and, more broadly, its importance in the computer world.

  I am an Interaction designer (currently studying my Masters's in Interaction Design at the London College of Communication) that specialises in spatial and experiential experiences - (with hopes of exploring the intersection between design and psychotherapy in a PhD). To put it quite simply I cover all areas of design and computing from programming, circuit design and fabrication, robotics, graphic design (My undergraduate degree is in Graphic Design Communication), branding, typography, metalwork, woodwork, computer-aided design - and computer-aided manufacturing... and much more! Within my own work, my practice is underpinned by a fascination with Philosophy, which has led to the adoption of a phenomenological and speculative approach - placing perception and experience at the core. I maintain the belief that a broad range of knowledge is crucial when practising in the field of design to stand any chance of understanding, interpreting and communicating with the world around us.

• Do so-called 'visionaries', such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg inspire you or do you have other role models?

  As much as I have respect for those who have shaped the modern world, it's important to acknowledge the disparity between wealth between them and the average person - but also how they attainted that wealth. Often though exploitation of our data and personal privacy. Although I don't often think about role models, I can say I have a lot of respect for those in the Open-Source community, who also work day in and day out to create a better and open internet... and at no expense to us the consumer!

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  I don't think I have anything valuable to add regarding a 'valuable' anecdote.

• What would you say to an uncomfortable person in front of a screen who says that "IT is too complicated"?

  I think it's really important to acknowledge from the off that everyone is different and I understand that. So if you consider yourself to be "too old to learn this", "I wasn't very good in school" or "I am concerned as I have a mental, physical or learning impairment…" then think again. In the ever-evolving industries of design, creative computing and more it's never too late for anyone - whilst also having a sliding scale of complexity for whatever your background is and isn't - I am here to facilitate your individual needs and worries on a personal level - or I would run group workshops (I do also do this!). So if you're concerned about learning a new skill or worried you'll struggle then don't push away the opportunity to delve into something you might love! (Trust me I know!) so if you want to just take your hobby to the next level, breakthrough a problem you're having or just want to learn everything and anything from scratch… This is your time and I hope to be the person who can do that with you!

• What are your other passions, related or non-related to computers?

  Well as previously mentioned I am a multidisciplinary practitioner, designer, artist and researcher. Outside of my tech-related areas, I attempt to see life through a lens of exploration and openness. I hope this enthusiasm for questioning has been displayed throughout my undergraduate dissertation, entitled 'Being Before the Nothingness: How can we use design to enhance our perception of the world and ourselves?' - a personal achievement that has cemented the connection between design and philosophy within my practice. I explored the valuable relationship between ourselves and experience through examining contemporary philosophical thoughts and theories, with a particular interest in Maurice Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology of Perception and Jean-Paul Sartre's Being and Nothingness. My current work aims to craft these phenomenological experiences that when successful should displace the viewer into Freud's Uncanny, or as put so clearly by Joleen Masschelein: "the uncanny lies in the fact that something is frightening, not because it is unfamiliar or new, but because what used to be familiar has somehow become strange."

• What makes you a Superprof in IT?

  I believe I am a 'SuperProf' in not only IT but all the subjects I teach. I strive myself on tailoring everything I do around the student as an individual - in an organic, friendly and non-superficial setting, talking through topics and guiding through software and skill training at a normal pace that works for you, not trying to just tick boxes but instead work out ways of teaching that suit you as an individual - as that's what we are, individuals. Don't feel ashamed if traditional educational settings don't work for you, because they didn't for me either! school really was not my forte, however, I was lucky enough to find ways of learning that not only fulfil my ever-evolving interests but also in a way that works for me, and I hope to pass those ideas and skills onto you.