Talks & Workshops
Here you will find a selection of workshops and talks that I have facilitated, organised, and participated in—spanning innovation, design thinking, and problem-solving across diverse sectors, including education, sustainability, and emerging technologies.
My workshops are designed to foster creativity, critical thinking, and hands-on experimentation, helping individuals, teams, and organizations develop actionable strategies, prototype ideas, and rethink challenges from new perspectives. Whether working with schools, startups, or established industries, I focus on practical applications of design and systems thinking to create meaningful impact.
Computer Vision for Design Engineering
2025
Delivered as part of the Dyson School of Design Engineering Winter School, this hands-on workshop introduced participants to OpenCV and computer vision applications in design and engineering. Attendees explored real-time image processing, object detection, and algorithmic design, applying these concepts to interactive and AI-driven projects.
Northumbrian Water Innovation Workshops
2023 - 2024
A series of in-depth workshops designed to drive innovation and problem-solving within the water industry. These sessions explored emerging technologies, sustainable infrastructure, and customer-focused solutions, helping Northumbrian Water develop new approaches to resilience, efficiency, and environmental impact. Through hands-on activities and collaborative design thinking, participants tackled real-world water sector challenges and developed actionable strategies for the future.
Crafting Businesses for a Sustainable Future
2024
Hosted at the Innovation Factory in Belfast, this masterclass explored opportunities in the environmental sector driven by government investment and emerging sustainable business trends. It introduced design thinking processes and provided practical tools to help businesses integrate sustainability into their models. Through case studies, hands-on activities, and networking, participants identified challenges, generated ideas, and developed strategies for building sustainable, regenerative businesses.
Innovation & Design Thinking for Environmental Action
2024
In collaboration with EY and Surfers Against Sewage, this workshop explored design thinking and innovation as tools for tackling environmental challenges. Participants engaged in hands-on activities, including problem mapping, citizen science methodologies, and speculative design exercises, to develop new approaches for community-driven environmental resilience.
Thingamajig! - Embodied Interaction & Physical Computing
2023
This workshop explored embodied interaction, blending movement, tangible interfaces, and technology. Participants designed interactive art pieces, wearables, or devices —"Thingamajigs"— that translated abstract concepts into physical experiences using Arduino & sensors.
ETH Prague 2023: The New Era of Environmental Activism
2023
What does the future of environmental activism look like? This talk explores new, radical approaches to climate action, including the rise of eco-hobbyvism — grassroots, creative engagement with sustainability. Design provocations and speculative systems are examined for how they might solve environmental challenges, even reimagining how we give a voice to non-human entities like fish, rivers, and ecosystems.
Seven of Clubs: Technology Activism
2023
Seven of Clubs is an interdisciplinary salon event exploring the cross-section of arts, sciences, society, and entrepreneurship. This intimate evening at Pushkin House brings together thinkers, makers, and pioneers to share in-depth insights into their fields of passion and expertise. Ryan McClure, a inter-disciplinary design engineer and environmental activist, discussed radical new forms of activism and the power of technology in reshaping how we protest, tell stories, and drive environmental change.
