Dr. Xinya You is a Lecturer in Sustainable Business at the Business School for the Creative Industries, University for the Creative Arts (UCA). She holds a BA in Industrial Design from Tsinghua University (China), a Master’s in Design and Branding Strategy from Brunel University London, and a PhD in Design from Lancaster University. Xinya’s career began as a brand analyst at Sigel + Gale Branding and Design Consultancy, followed by a role as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Dundee, before transitioning to her current position as a business school lecturer at UCA. This unconventional career path reflects her diverse interests in design, research, innovation and business.

Xinya has extensive expertise in design thinking, co-design, new product and service development, business model innovation, product-market strategy, and human-centered innovation and design. She has significant experience with large-scale, government-funded projects: InGAME (£11.5 million, served as Research & Development fellow in sustainable creative business); UK-China Creative Industries Research & Innovation Hub Fellowship (£170k, led the Responsible Research and Innovation working group); and Games and Innovation Nexus (£1.5 million, part of the core bidding team and led the design of the UCA R&D Voucher Scheme).

Over the past ten years, Xinya has explored the value of design methodologies across a range of areas, including new product and service development, business model innovation, sustainable business, management, organisational design, and venture building. Her work demonstrates a commitment to expanding the boundaries of design thinking, applying it not only to the creation of products and services but also to the development of new ventures, operational models, and broader entrepreneurial ecosystems. Xinya believes that design, as both a methodology and a mindset, holds immense potential for addressing sustainability challenges and driving positive social, economic, and environmental impact. This drives her ongoing exploration of the future of design.