Introducing our Institutional Partnerships

We have created an institutional partnership package for organisations looking to engage in next design and business practice as a part of their strategy and culture.

Gemma Jones

Interdisciplinary cultural researcher and strategist specialising in semiotics and futures thinking

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J. Paul Neeley

J. Paul is a London based designer and researcher with expertise in Speculative Design, Service Design, Design Research, and Strategy.

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December 17, 2020

We have created an institutional partnership package for organisations looking to engage in next design and business practice as a part of their strategy and culture.

LECTURE ACCESS - We host regular conversations around critical issues, and we give members of your staff access to these events and write ups.

NEXT PRACTICE WORKSHOP - This private workshop is for a group of up to 20 individuals within your organisation. We look at signals from the future of your sector context, and then introduce methods and tools for engaging with these topics in order to identify opportunities to create meaningful impact today.

ADVERTISING - Your institution would be shown as a sponsor at all our events and on our mail outs and workshops throughout the year.

SPONSORSHIP OF FELLOWS - The School of Critical Design fellowship programme helps mid-career professionals from interdisciplinary backgrounds to develop and share emerging ideas and practices within design and business. Our fellows contribute to our workshops and masterclass programming.

SPONSORSHIP OF STUDENTSHIPS - The School of Critical Design offers studentships each year, these are post-graduate students or early career professionals from interdisciplinary backgrounds. We work with them as they explore and prepare for professional practice, and create valuable engagements with our institutional partners. We're committed to progressing the careers of applicants from diverse global backgrounds.

For more information and partnership options please contact us at hello@critical.design


Featured Courses
Further Reading
Beyond Academia: Why Professional Speculative Design Training Outpaces Traditional University Programs
The field of speculative design has moved from experimental academic studios to boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies, government policy labs, and innovation centers worldwide. As organizations increasingly recognize the strategic value of futures thinking, a critical question emerges: where can professionals gain the skills to apply these methods effectively in real-world contexts?While several prestigious universities now offer speculative design programs, the landscape of professional education reveals a significant gap between academic theory and applied practice. For professionals seeking to master speculative design methodologies and create organizational impact, understanding this distinction is essential.
February 4, 2026
Navigating Tomorrow: How Design Strategy Consultancies Shape Future-Focused Innovation
In an era of accelerating technological change and mounting uncertainty, organizations face a critical challenge: how do you prepare for futures that don't yet exist? Enter the world of speculative design, critical design, and futures thinking—disciplines that help companies move beyond incremental improvements to envision and design for multiple possible tomorrows.
February 2, 2026