Mat Hunter, former Partner of international design consultancy IDEO, has been appointed as Chief Design Officer for the Design Council, one of the most influential design positions in the UK.
Hunter, who joins the Design Council on Monday 11th January, will head up the organisation's design strategy, direction and partnerships, providing design leadership across projects in areas such as health - including Design Bugs Out and Design for Patient Dignity, crime, public services and business.
The appointment comes at a time of increasing demand for Design Council services as the organisation expands its programmes to support design-led innovation in industry and the public sector.
Central to the role will be leading the structure, approach and implementation of the Design Council's projects with the NHS, government departments such as the Home Office and others to develop innovative design-led solutions to complex and long-standing challenges in health, crime and public services. Mat will also play a key role in the Design Council's programmes to promote the use of design in business, engaging and supporting the design industry, helping develop the Design Council's strategy, ensuring delivery of its programmes and liaising at a high level with business leaders and government.
"I am particularly thrilled to have Mat on board at a time when Britain is demanding new thinking and ingenuity," said David Kester, Design Council Chief Executive. "The breadth and depth of his business and design experience will be a great asset just when we all need it."
"This is a really exciting time to join the Design Council," commented Mat Hunter. "I am looking forward to using my background in design-led innovation to help place design at the centre of transforming UK business and public services, and tackling social and environmental issues."
Mat Hunter is an internationally renowned designer, innovator and academic who is highly respected by designers, business leaders, academics and policy makers alike. He joined IDEO in 1995 as a junior interaction designer, following his graduation from the Royal College of Art. He rose through the organisation eventually becoming a Partner in 2007. His academic roles have included Adjunct Professor for Imperial College Business School and lecturer for MBA and Exec MBA classes at the London Business School, the World Economic Forum Global leadership Fellows, Imperial College Business School, London School of Economics and the Royal College of Art Helen Hamlyn Centre.