Role
Hannah Halliday is the Principal Lecturer for Post-Graduate study in the Department of Design and Digital Arts and is responsible for the strategic overview of a suite of master’s courses. As part of this role, she is a member of the School International Group and the School Academic Quality Standards Committee. As a practising graphic designer, she also teaches in the Graphic Design subject area at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels.
Career overview
Hannah joined NTU in 2015. Prior to this, her career was industry-based working at various leading design agencies, specialising in branding. Most recently she was a Associate Director and Design Director at The One Off, a multi-disciplinary design agency with studios in London and Melbourne, where she also served as a board member. Her leadership in brand, retail, and digital design has shaped projects for global clients including Samsung, BBC, Barclays, Ocado, Orange - France Telecom and Rolls-Royce, as well as third-sector organisations such as English Heritage, IRW and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Her expertise spans brand strategy, design leadership, and client engagement across diverse sectors. Hannah continues to be passionate in her own practice about pure and immersive design experiences, with a focus on developing inclusive, ethical, and sustainable design solutions that bridge commercial insight with academic research impact.
Research areas
Hannah is co-lead of Stories with Impact, a design-led research initiative exploring how inclusive visual communication can contribute to social innovation and positive social impact. Through cross-disciplinary and industry partnerships, the project promotes sustainable and ethical design practices that amplify underrepresented voices.
Current collaborations include Cancer Research UK, NHS teams, colleagues in the School of Psychology, and the Brave Pages Project. These partnerships focus on how visual storytelling can support the health and wellbeing of children and families in healthcare contexts.
We currently also have two fully funded PHD Studentships opportunities aligned to this initiative: Digital, Technology and Creative PhD Studentships: Designing Difference / The Space Between.
The initiative connects academic research, creative practice, and third-sector engagement to co-develop and evaluate impactful communication strategies. The work aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
External activity
- Member of the International Society of Typographic Designers (MISTD)
- Fellow of The Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
- Independent Trustee – Mountain Rescue England and Wales (CIO) (2021 – 2022) Ongoing consultancy + Strategic Direction support
Publications
Publications / Conferences / Academic External Activities
2025 – Research & Innovation Conference
RadioDADA: Federated Learning in an enshittified Web3.0
2025 – NS&AD T&L Conference
Professional Futures – a multilingual approach to support agency and equity
2024 – GLAD Belfast
RadioDADA: Federated Learning in an enshittified Web3.0
2021 – Course Validation Panel Member
Grantham College Access to HE Diploma (Art and Design)
2021 – 2022 Independent Trustee
Mountain Rescue England and Wales (CIO)
2019 – MREW National Conference
Brand Strategy and Identity in the evolving 3rd sector
2004 – Speaker / Participant at DBA client/agency surgery evenings.
2020 – 2021 – Cross School Practice Research Project ‘Future Newtons – Future Newtons is a coming together of five NTU colleagues from Physics, Education, Graphic Design and Strategic Partnerships. Together with partners Autism East Midlands and the National Trust’s Woolsthorpe Manor, home of Isaac Newton, the project aimed to engage autistic learners with Newtonian physics. The project was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, via an application submitted by the Trust, written in partnership with the NTU team.
Press expertise
Graphic design, Branding, Environment & Experience design
Industry-Academic Collaboration in Creative Disciplines
My research contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals
