Andy Garbett

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Andy Garbett

a.garbett@newcastle.ac.uk

My research focuses on enabling citizens to take a leading role in the commissioning and design of technologies and services that support new models of participation between communities and local government. I believe in designing technologies that can be deployed and studied within a real-world context and have previously developed a number of platforms using this approach:

  • App Movement: An online platform that enables citizens to commission, design, and automatically generate mobile applications that support communities to establish community information resources
  • FeedFinder: A location based rating and review service for breastfeeding mothers to locate breastfeeding-friendly locations nearby
  • Event Movement: An online platform for collaboratively commissioning, designing, and promoting community events

My previous work has explored a number of areas, including technologies to support citizen journalism within the BBC, novel discovery interfaces for large museum collections, and developing social networks to deliver cognitive behavioural therapy for those living with insomnia.

I have a background in Software Engineering and enjoy the challenge of designing and developing large scale civic platforms for change using web and mobile technologies. When I’m not technologically tinkering I also enjoy exploring the great outdoors, skiing, chasing footballs around, and cooking.