Nevena Balezdrova is a second year PhD researcher at Brunel University London. She utilises her background in Interior Design and Architecture BA, and Design Strategy and Innovation MA as a way to integrate theory, user research and the social sciences. Nevena’s current research sheds light on the experience of minority groups through design research. Currently looking at how the UK government uses co-design methods to engage with communities and the way in which it could potentially use co-design for service development in order to align better with the needs of minority groups, particularly with older immigrants. Nevena has a keen interest in researching and applying co-design methods as an identity building tool that help aid integration into society and improve the citizen-state relationship. Key areas of interest: social identity, service co-design, psychopathology of immigration and systems thinking.

Dr Youngok Choi is a senior lecturer and programme director of MA Design and branding Strategy & MA Design Strategy and Innovation, College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences, Brunel University London, and a design researcher specialising in Design Management, Design Policy and Social Innovaiton. Her research interests encompass the role of design in economic growth and improving the quality of people’s lives, and hence sustainable development. The strategic use of design underpins much of her research activities. She has developed a range of design research interests which include but are not limited to: Design Management; Design Policy; Innovation in new product development; Social Innovation; and Design Pedagogy. She has been involved in many design research projects including design policy at national, regional and organisational levels, the future of the UK design industry, social values of design and design strategy for businesses. She has collaborated with many businesses including Samsung Electronics, Samsung Design Europe and LG Design Europe.
Youngok completed her PhD in Design Management from Lancaster University in 2009 and graduated MA course in Design Strategy and Innovation at Brunel University London in 2005. She earlier qualified in both Business Administration and Communication Design at tertiary institutions in South Korea.

Dr Busayawan Lam is a senior lecturer and the Director of Teaching and Learning at Design Department. She specialises in the areas of New Product Development (NPD) process, Innovation Strategy and Management, and Design Strategy.

She was trained in Industrial Design at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and practiced as a product designer in a small-and-medium-sized exporter company in Thailand. She later obtained MSc Industrial Design at University of Salford and PhD Design Research at Brunel University London. She worked as a researcher at the National Metal and Materials Technology Centre (MTEC) Thailand. She has many years of experience studying user requirements, ascertaining design trends and recommending strategic design directions for a variety of organisations ranging from a domestic general hospital equipment producer to a global electronics company. Her current research interests include co-design, community-led design and social innovation.