Rock Galpin

Bio

Rock Galpin is a Professor at the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University, Dubai. He has been teaching Furniture Design (specialist), Graphic Design (specialist) and Interior Design (Colour & Light Design) courses since 2023/24.

His approach and philosophy to teaching is very much focused and aimed around creating a solid research basis, raising creative consciousness, developing processes and exploring through practice to achieve comprehensive outcomes.

As an educator, he has over 26 years teaching experience, at Central Saint Martins (BA Product Design, MA Industrial Design and MA Design). His teaching also includes his role as course leader for the undergraduate course ‘Industrial Design - Ethnology & Culture’ at Syracuse University.

Since Rock’s arrival in UAE, in 2020 he has set up a number of his own design courses, using prototyping workshops offering furniture design/brand design courses to locals alongside courses at National Design Academy, The Designers Studio (both Furniture Design) and Istituto Marangoni (undergraduate courses in Brand Communication, Corporate Identity, amongst others).

Professional Practice
As an established designer from London, Rock has 30 years international industry practice (Europe and Asia), as a product/furniture designer and graphic designer.
His multidisciplinary design practice Rock Galpin Studio (London) est. in 2005, followed the success of Studio Orange (London) est. in 1995 has been running for 29 years. Rock, an award-winning designer, with a studio in Dubai, continues his development of design through exploration of materials, processes and typologies in product/furniture design for brands, supplying furniture to interior designers/architects, clients and international manufacturer brands in hospitality, workplace, education, retail, and residential markets.

An example project includes his role as Head of Design, working with the HMP Governor (HM Prisons) on a 2.5year project aiming to aid UK Prison reform, with a prison cell furniture collection. This involved an intense research study over a year, assessing in-mate behavioural patterns, the proposal of a sustainable agenda and stake holder workshops, alongside developing design proposals. Working with a team of 20, 15 designers, researchers, and admin team (including Central Saint Martins, BA Product Design students) the team generated over 25 designs. 5 designs passed HMP rigorous assessment, 2 were by Rock.

Recent design work has included a collection of furniture, ‘The Lugano Collection’ for ongoing production at Morgan Furniture (UK). Rock has launched STAK furniture collection in UAE, (adaptive sustainable furniture), launched at Downtown Design (Dubai 2022) and INDEX (Dubai 2023) where he set up collaborations with partners, Kvadrat, Dateform, Neolith, Canon, The Good Plastic Company, Kidzink and Colab. His latest collaboration with partners Cosentino ME and now a new international zero carbon footprint material supplier is driven by an objective to utilise waste and explore new material applications and typologies in a collection of luxury table designs, using and promoting local UAE suppliers and manufacturers.

The latest Graphic Design projects consisted of being brought in to undertaken new brand identities for Omnicom Media Group and Promofix, media agencies, here in the UAE.

Rock’s overriding passion is to help develop the local design scene and nurture design expertise (industry and education) by connecting local partners (international brands), and educating up-and-coming talent, to develop design, explore new environmentally friendly materials, and the manufacturing and supply offering here in the UAE.

Office

Dubai Academic City, Dubai

Phone:

+971 4 402 1836

Email:

Teaching Areas

Furniture Design

Product Design

Brand Design

Graphic Design

Research and Professional Activities

Clients include  The British Council, ARAM, Heals, The Conran Shop, Designers Guild, Hille, Connection Seating, Morgan Furniture, Frem Group, The Ministry of Justice (HMP), Saatchi & Saatchi, Channel 4, Diageo, Omnicom and UDC (Qatar)

Exhibitions include

Rock has exhibited his furniture and lighting designs in over 40 international exhibitions which include; London and UK (IDI, 100% Design, KBB, Design UK, Design London), Paris (Maison Objet), Milan (Salone del Mobile, Gallery Babled) Hanover, Cologne (IMM), Hong Kong (HKTDC), Tokyo (Idée), Taiwan, Dubai (Downtown Dubai, INDEX) and New York (ICFF)

Awards include

The Laurent Perrier Design Award, Hiddenart, ‘Most Inspiring Designer of the Year Award’, and Ness Furniture Design Awards.

Publications include

‘The International Design Yearbook’ (cur. Jasper Morrison) and ‘Cool Lofts’ by Laurence King and ‘London Lofts’ Thames Hudson UK.

Press & Appearances

Publications in Europe, the Middle and Far East, which include; Wallpaper, Blueprint, Elle Decoration, World of Interiors, Icon, GQ, Marie Claire, Space Magazine, World Architecture, Abitare, Architektur & Wohnen, Domus, Interni, Dezeen, Love That Design, ddn, Sleeper, Design Report, Brutus and Wind (Japan), Design Week, The Times alongside a number of TV appearances and TV series (as a design presenter).

Talks

Bloomberg (London), Charted Society of Designers (CSD), Domus Academy (Milan), EBDG (Shenzhen), Commercial Interior Design (panelist), Downtown Design (panelist), INDEX - Dubai (panelist) and ITP Media (panelist).

Judging

Rock has been invited to be a judge on a panel for the following awards ‘The Restaurant & Bar Design Awards’ (London), ‘100% Design Committee’, ‘Designed in Saudi Seal’ (Accenture pilot) and ‘Commercial Interior Design Awards 2022’ (Dubai)