I am Thomas Dylan (Tommy), an Assistant Professor in Product Design at Northumbria University, Newcastle. My research is grounded in hands-on experimentation with embedded and networked technologies, using interactive artefacts as a means of inquiry.
I work primarily through Research through Design in the Field, combining ethnographic methods with the development of research prototypes that respond to questions emerging from specific social contexts. This approach informs both my research and teaching, where design-led exploration is used to support engagement with emerging technologies.
My research focuses on co-creation and the lived experience of prototyping. I place high value on working directly with participants, using hands-on experimentation to understand how design artefacts function and gain meaning within everyday life.
This site serves as an introduction to my work and a working archive of practice. A full list of publications is available on Google Scholar.
Presented Photo Things at Interaction Design for Children (IDC 2026) in Brighton.
Awarded best pictorial for Photo Things at Interaction Design for Children (IDC 2026) in Brighton.
Accepted to participate in the EPSRC Green+ Network Sandpit.
Pictorial on the design of Photo Things accepted to Interaction Design for Children (IDC 2026).
Programme Chair for Demos, SportsHCI.
Associate Chair, Research through Design track, Designing Interactive Systems (DIS 2026).
Submitted pictorial on the design of PhotoThings to Interaction Design for Children (IDC 2026).
Published this website as an easy way to archive work using mark up instead of Word Press.
Associate Chair, Research through Design track, Designing Interactive Systems (DIS 2025).
Submitted a grant proposal to the AHRC around AI literacy for children in the family home.
Began a sabbatical focused on designing and building tools to support adopted children’s engagement with photo archives.