Mr Jason Hayhurst
| Biography | Jason brings a wealth of experience from both industry and academia, specialising in transforming user requirements into impactful and innovative design solutions. His work reflects a deep passion for leveraging technology and design to drive positive behavioral change. Recently, this passion has culminated in his PhD research, which explores the use of mixed-reality virtual environments to gamify memories for individuals living with dementia, enabling meaningful engagement and support for those in home settings. Jason is an active member of the School of The Arts, contributing extensively to its academic and creative initiatives. He has also served as Subject Director for the Screen subject area, guiding its development and direction. Jason is also an active committee member of the Centre for Applied Research in the Arts (CARA). He is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. With over 20 years of experience in ICT, Jason has provided strategic IT consultancy for SMEs across the UK, Ireland, France, and Africa. His roles have ranged from technical consultant to director, consistently bridging the gap between business needs and technical solutions to deliver measurable outcomes. |
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| Research Interests | Dementia Augmented Reality Mixed Reality Emerging Technologies and how they impact on society UI UX |
| Teaching and Learning | I teach a diverse range of modules across our undergraduate Digital Media programmes, including Game Design and Graphic Design. At the postgraduate level, I contribute to the MA Immersive Design and supervise students undertaking the MA Digital Media by Research. My interests lie in exploring game engines beyond traditional entertainment applications, often referred to as Serious Games (although I prefer to ask, why does a game have to be serious?). I am particularly fascinated by the convergence of gaming and film, especially the use of game engines for real-time rendering—an exciting and growing area that opens possibilities like designing levels for the next blockbuster film. In the field of Immersive Design, I focus on 360° video design, examining the unique challenges and opportunities of the 360° canvas, and how we can creatively exploit this virtual arena from a design perspective. I am also deeply passionate about UI/UX and Human-Computer Interaction, with a strong emphasis on user-centered design principles. These areas align closely with my commitment to creating intuitive and engaging digital experiences. One of my favorite aspects of teaching is guiding final-year major projects. These capstone projects represent the culmination of a student’s learning journey, allowing them to explore their personal interests while applying the skills they’ve developed throughout their degree. Meeting regularly with students to shape and refine their projects is incredibly rewarding. My teaching philosophy revolves around contextualizing the subject matter and delivering technical knowledge through a blended approach. This includes face-to-face lab sessions, remote teaching options, and supplementary resources like Panopto recordings, which capture key design steps to ensure students can actively engage with and revisit the content as needed. My goal is to provide a supportive and flexible learning environment that empowers students to succeed. |
| PhD Supervision Availability | No |