Profile overview

My name is Arjun Khara. I am a lecturer and researcher at the School of Design, University of Leeds. My research focus is on Fairness Design, a new field of enquiry that examines the construction of government documents, namely forms, and how government policies influence design decisions and affect public perceptions. Fairness Design is the outcome of my PhD, which I completed at the Department of Typography and Graphic Communication, University of Reading. The PhD examined the characteristics of digital government forms issued in Singapore during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, my research concentrated on how public forms could be made fairer for both citizens government by integrating information design tools with principles of political philosophy. This ultimately led to the creation of Fairness Design as a new field of research, which I am currently pursuing at the University of Leeds.

Current research

In addition to Fairness Design, I am part of an EPSRC-funded project, between the School of Computing and the School of Design, analysing the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in data visualisation. I also teach on the BA Graphic and Communication Design programme, and supervise masters and PhD students. In February 2023 I was appointed Incoming Deputy Head of School (Transformation and Experience) for the School of Design, and will formally take over the role in September 2023. Profile: Dr Arjun Khara, University of Leeds →

Previous study

I have an MA in Computer Games Art and Design (Valedictorian Orator Class of 2018) from Goldsmiths, University of London. My work thus operates at the confluence of visual design and digital environments. Before moving to the United Kingdom, in 2017, I spent much of my life in Singapore where I co-founded the Centre for Communication and Information Literacy (CCIL). The idea for CCIL, however, germinated during my years as an undergraduate student at the University of South Australia, Adelaide, where I completed my BA in Communication, Media, and Culture (Golden Key Hon. Soc.).

Career

Shortly after graduating, in 2005, I moved back to Singapore to start a company with my wife. Together, we grew the company through a series of projects and ventures, the culmination of which is the CCIL. Since then, I have conducted courses on copywriting, content marketing, branded storytelling, information design, and frontend coding for governments, Fortune 100 and 500 companies, technology firms, banks and financial institutions, hospitals, universities, hotels, charities, and non-governmental organisations. My research into Fairness Design continues to feed into talks and seminars with my clients and the wider public in the United Kingdom and in Southeast Asia. Profile: Dr Arjun Khara, CCIL →