Isla Munro
Job title:
Lecturer, Product Design
Role:
Programme Director, BA (Hons) Product Design; Programme Convenor UG Learning and Teaching
Office:
Hunter Building, R3A
Office hours:
Mon 9am - 5pm, Tue 9am - 1pm & Wed, 9am - 5pm
Research Output:
Edinburgh Research Explorer linkBiography
Isla Munro is an Edinburgh based designer and Product Design tutor at Edinburgh College of Art. Isla’s background is in Furniture and Product Design, and her freelance practice is based in Design and Communication, with over 16 years’ experience in the creative industries.
Isla has worked for a variety of clients including bespoke furniture makers, authors, digital fabric printers, textile designers, community development groups, architects, property developers, construction companies, and the Scottish Government.
Practiced in collaborating with stakeholders to ensure that the outcomes embody their creative aspirations, Isla's experience teaching, being part of public sector bid teams coordinating community consultation events, and running community art projects makes her a valuable member of a creative team.
As coordinator of the ‘100 Days Project Scotland’ Isla aims to create an inclusive creative community through daily creativity. Encouraging those from creative backgrounds through to those who may have never felt they had permission to be creative; the 100 Days Project Scotland gives space and encouragement to create daily for 100 days, and culminates in a celebratory annual exhibition in Edinburgh.
Isla has taught at both Masters and Under-graduate level, at Edinburgh College of Art and Napier University. Isla currently teaches Under-Graduate students at ECA, where she is course organiser for various Product Design core and elective pre-honours courses. In 2019 Isla also took up a Design school role as a Programme Convenor of Undergraduate Learning and Teaching, supporting the Undergraduate Director.
Isla currently teaches undergraduate students, and is Course Organiser for five pre-honours, core and elective, courses across the School of Design. This role sees her manage course content, academic calendar and assessment criteria; supporting the students throughout the year.
Receiving her PGCAP qualification in 2019, Isla is now a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; implementing that learning through her activity as an Undergraduate Learning and Teaching Programme Convenor, Isla works with fellow Convenors and the UG L&T Director to assist colleagues in the School of Design.
Isla, in collaboration with colleague Lucy Roscoe, explored tools for linked learning and studio pedagogy across the new curriculum in a 10 minute breakout session at the University of Edinburgh Learning and Teaching Conference in 2019. Isla and Lucy will be developing research on the importance of play in higher education, with the aim of delivering a paper at the UoE L&T Conference in 2022.
