Dr Allen is an Industrial Designer by training, and has headed both Industrial Design and Visual Communication Design programs at WSU. He has held academic positions at Monash University, Massey University, NZ, and Loughborough University, UK, and has supervised many international award-winning students. His current research interests are in material intelligence (smart materials, intelligent use of materials, and in the hidden stories of sourcing and selecting materials); the application of design thinking to address pressing concerns related to food security, climate change, and health; and in the use of Augmented Reality to interact and engage with the physical world. For more, see www.designacademic.com.