Professor Andrew Wootton
Andrew B. Wootton is Professor of Human-Centred Design Innovation and Director of the Design Against Crime Solution Centre — a pioneering design research partnership with Greater Manchester Police, the Landeskriminalamt Niedersachsen (Germany), and DSP-groep b.v. (Netherlands). With a background in human-centred design, Andrew has over 20 years of experience leading research into evidence-based design innovation to address societal challenges, particularly in the security domain.
Andrew currently leads the €2 million European Commission-funded Engage2innovate (E2i) project, which seeks to transform EU-funded security research and innovation by embedding human-centred design principles to improve the uptake and real-world impact of project outputs across Europe (www.Engage2Innovate.eu).
He has delivered numerous UK and European-funded design research projects, including leading the Cutting Crime Impact (CCI) project (2018–21, www.CuttingCrimeImpact.eu). CCI was a collaboration with six European law enforcement agencies, including the Dutch and Estonian national police forces, Lisbon Municipal Police, German police in Lower Saxony, and Catalan police in Spain. The project developed practical tools and resources to enhance security and policing across Europe. Andrew also contributed to the EU Horizon 2020 project IcARUS: Innovative Approaches to Urban Security (2018–24, www.icarus-innovation.eu).
Andrew has published widely on the role of human-centred design in addressing societal challenges and promoting social responsibility. He co-authored (with Davey) the volume "Design Against Crime: A human-centred approach to safety and security" (Gower), which explores the development of Design Against Crime in the UK, and its broader impact on design research, practice and policy across Europe (https://tinyurl.com/askdzxfz).
A prolific author and experienced facilitator, Andrew has led DesignLabs, delivered workshops and contributed to numerous seminars and conferences on the value of human-centred design innovation in tackling safety, security and wellbeing challenges. His work focuses on holistic, practical solutions in areas such as crime prevention, community policing, and fostering feelings of security.
