Dr Michael Stead
Lecturer in Sustainable Design FuturesResearch Overview
The decarbonisation of global economies is imperative for the long-term sustainability of the planet. From energy production through manufacturing to within the home, emerging so-called ‘smart’ data-driven technologies like the Internet of Things, Edge Computing, Digital Fabrication and Artificial Intelligence are increasingly being embraced throughout society, yet the wider environmental impacts of this rapid shift are little understood.
Michael's current research applies and advances approaches including Research through Design and Speculative Design to prototype and evaluate radical new visions for low carbon futures which critically and creatively interrogate the evolving relationship between emerging data-driven technologies and key sustainability challenges such as Net Zero 2050 and the Circular Economy.
In doing so, his work aims to develop innovative design approaches and tools in collaboration with industry, policymakers and publics which raise awareness and support the adoption of sustainable and equitable data-driven technologies and related practices.
With emphasis on the responsible decentralisation and democratisation of technologies, his research investigates cross-cutting themes including Right-to-Repair, Data Sustainability, Distributed Manufacturing and Post-scarcity Economies.
Michael is a lecturer at Imagination, Lancaster University's open and exploratory design research lab. He leads the Imagination Sustainability Special Interest Group with Sejal Changede and is departmental representative on the university wide Sustainability Knowledge Exchange group.
Research Grants
Michael has been collaborating with partners on the following funded projects:
The Making Rooms, BBC Research & Development, Which? and NCC on the EPSRC Equitable Digital Societyfunded Fixing the Future: The Right-to-Repair and Equal-IoT project which combines research expertise from design (Imagination), HCI (Nottingham), technology law and ethics (Edinburgh) and the digital humanities (Napier) to investigate how we can collectively design, build and sustain more repairable and equitable electronic IoT devices as part of growing circular, digital economies across society.
The Making Rooms on the IAA ESRC EPSRC funded The Repair Shop 2049 project which has explored the Right-to-Repair electronic IoT devices and design pathways for developing local repair infrastructures and circular economies.
BBC Research & Development on the EPSRC PETRAS funded Edge of Reality project which has investigated the sustainability and cyber-security of data generated by our interactions with Edge-IoT technologies. This builds on the previously funded Edge of Tomorrow project.
External Roles
Review Board Member - Association for Computing Machinery’s Journal on Computing and Sustainable Societies (ACM JCSS)
Current Teaching
UG LICA240: Design Interactions
UG LICA241: Design Visualisations
UG Supervisor – LICA300: Design
PGT Supervisor – LICA426: Design Management
Career Details
Prior to his lectureship, Michael was a Post-Doctoral Research Associate on the Research England funded Beyond Imagination project. Alongside his doctoral research, Michael worked as a Research Associate on two EPSRC funded research projects – PETRAS Internet of Things hub and Liveable Cities – and then as Design Visualiser on the AHRC funded research projects Living Design and Design Ecologies. Before completing his PhD and Masters at Lancaster, he gained practical, commercial design expertise working as an industrial product designer.
Qualifications
Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA - PGCAP Parts I & II)
PhD in Digital Innovation (Design), HighWire Digital Economy Centre for Doctoral Training, Lancaster University.
Master’s in Research (Digital Innovation), HighWire Digital Economy Centre for Doctoral Training, Lancaster University. Distinction.
Master’s in Product Design (New Product Development), University of Salford. Distinction.
PhD Supervision Interests
Michael welcomes enquiries from potential students interested in researching new ways for designing and adopting more sustainable technologies, practices and infrastructures across society. This work will contribute to our better understanding of the deepening relationship between sustainability issues (environmental governance, social equity and economic resilience) and emergent technologies (like the Internet of Things, Edge Computing, Digital Fabrication and Artificial Intelligence) and how this relationship is impacting climate change now and into the future. Such research could draw upon and advance research fields including Design for Sustainability, Sustainable Human-Computer Interaction, More Than Human-Centred Design, Designing for Transitions, Cradle to Cradle theory and Biodesign.
E3: InterNET ZERO: Towards Resource Responsible Trustworthy
Autonomous Systems
01/04/2023 → 30/06/2024
Research
E3: Fixing the Future: The Right to Repair and Equal-IoT
01/08/2022 → 31/07/2024
Research
E3: Edge of Reality (ER)
01/04/2022 → 30/09/2022
Research
E3: IAA ESRC EPSRC: The Repair Shop 2049: Exploring the Role of Physical-Digital Technologies in Shaping Future Local Sustainable Repair Ecosystems
01/12/2021 → 31/08/2022
Research
E3: Edge Of Tomorrow: Understanding The Impacts Of IoT Cybersecurity And Datafication To Co-design A Sustainable Edge
01/05/2021 → 31/10/2021
Research
EPSRC Circular Economy and ICT Engagement and Networking Workshop
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Designing A More Sustainable Internet of Things
Invited talk
EPSRC Manufacturing and the Circular Economy Community Workshop
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
The Repair Shop 2049: Building Local Repair Communities to Make Smart Tech Smarter
Invited talk
ESRC Festival of Social Science 2022
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Designing Sustainable Technological Futures: The Repair Shop 2049 & Other Adventures
Invited talk
Ethical Dilemma Cafe at Digital Design Weekender as part of London Design Festival / V&A 2022
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Digital Design Weekend @V&A for London Design Festival
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
British Science Festival 2022
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Double Trouble? Negotiating the (Un)Sustainability of IoT Through Design
Invited talk
Bluedot Festival 2022
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
ISF DSTL Stories4Policy: Speculative Futures for Engaging with Risk and Uncertainty
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
ISF DSTL Stories4Policy conference: Experiential Futures - Exhibits Panel Discussion
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
DRS 2022 Bilbao PhD Mentorships
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
ACM NordiCHI 2022: Participative Computing for Sustainable Futures (Event)
Publication peer-review
The National Festival of Making 2022
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Branch Magazine 'Open Climate' Issue Jam Session (EIT Climate KIC, Mozilla Foundation, Climate Action Tech, and the Green Web Foundation)
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
IAA EPSRC ESRC Repair Shop 2049 Workshop 2
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Ethical Dilemma Cafe as part of Mozilla Festival 2022
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
IAA EPSRC ESRC Repair Shop 2049 Workshop 1 (Online)
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
EPSRC Circular Economy Community Workshop
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
ACM Creativity & Cognition 2022 Conference (Event)
Publication peer-review
Designing the Right to Repair Ecosystem in Botswana
Invited talk
The 2021 Festival of Social Science
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Sustainable Things: Design for More-Than Human Centred Worlds
Invited talk
Edge of Tomorrow: Co-designing A Sustainable Edge - Engaging Sustainability Experts
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Edge of Tomorrow: Co-designing A Sustainable Edge - Engaging Cyber Security Experts
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Edge of Tomorrow: Co-designing A Sustainable Edge - Engaging End-Users
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
PETRAS Expert Panel: Ensuring consumer IoT devices are safe, secure, and private
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
14th International Conference of the European Academy of Design (Event)
Publication peer-review
Sustainability - Designing for a Utopia or Dystopia?
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Designing For The End of Life of IoT Objects
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
ACM Designing Interactive Systems 2020 Conference (Event)
Publication peer-review
Living Design: Design for Sustainability in Maker Enterprises
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
ACM International Conference on Supporting Group Work 2020 (Event)
Publication peer-review
EPSRC PETRAS House of Lords Event
Other
Living in the Internet of Things
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
ACM Designing Interactive Systems 2018 Conference (Event)
Publication peer-review
EPSRC Liveable Cities UK Cities Summit
Other
ACM Designing Interactive Systems 2017 Conference (Event)
Publication peer-review
PHD BY DESIGN @ DRS2016
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
FCCR/CSF Future City Innovation Workshop
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
PHD BY DESIGN CONFERENCE 2014
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
- Digital Good & Data Design
- Evaluation
- Imagination Lancaster
- Makers
- More than Human
- School of Design
- Sustainability and Repair