Contact Professor Leon Williams
- Tel: +44 (0) 1234 758531
- Email: l.williams@cranfield.ac.uk
Areas of expertise
- Design, Strategy & Innovation
Background
Academically trained as a goldsmith with a doctorate from the RCA; his work has been showcased internationally from Universidade do Porto, Portugal; to Galerie Ra, Amsterdam; Milan, Korea and Hong Kong.
He has led as Principal Investigator more than 50 research funded projects and supervised many postgraduate researchers to competition from the RCA/Rochester/Cranfield (at MSc by Research/MPhil/PhD level). He is also the course tutor of the internationally acknowledged Innovation and Creativity MDes by Bloomberg Businessweek.
Current activities
Dr Leon B. M. Williams is the Director of Centre for Competitive Creative Design (C4D) at SWAG合集 with a specialised area of research in Prestige Design and Creative Innovation.
He has a wide knowledge base in 'technology development' but focuses his attention on the ever-changing disciplines that yield high impact for technological change and creative innovation. For this reason, precision engineering, novel materials, craftsmanship techniques and new technology development take high priority within his current research. However, most of his professional consultancy engagement focuses on problem solving for the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sectors, as his research and development processes are valued for being rapid and pragmatic. He focuses on developing design-led strategic tools, creative insight and working solutions to large and small enterprises, simulating ideas whilst bringing them to reality using proven R&D methodologies combined with new rapid development mechanisms.
He has been a consultant for over ten years providing guidance and support to developing FMCG companies. His key skills include:
Rapid-innovation toolkits (theory and practice)
Technology readiness level pipelines
Open Innovation Management workflows
Technology-led Innovation
Design for manufacture innovation management best practice
Digital technology development (concept-to-creation)
Reverse engineering systems for rapid manufacture
Design-led insight mechanisms (empathic data collection)
Client-driven innovation processes
Craftsmanship and practitioner knowledge exchange
Innovation strategy and creative business management mechanism
Precision engineering and rapid technology development
Creative systems and product optimisation pathways
Game changing innovation strategies for business growth
Smart Materials and Processes Design Thinking Practice Technology
Prototyping Management of Innovation and Technology.
Clients
SABMiller Materials Department
P&G
IBM
Housing 21
BMS
Links of London HQ
Benney Watches Ltd - in conjunction with Faberge Design Orchard
Royal Mint
Shadow Robotics
London Tap Water
Bombay Sapphire
Theo Fernell
Marant Jewellery
Wind Power Ltd (Grimshaw Architects London HQ)
Hornby
Rapid-Form
RCA
Garrard
V&A (goldsmiths)
Jaguar Land Rover.
