Dr Scott Brown

I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Art & Design at UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture (ADA), where I use inclusive design and human-centred approaches to work alongside neurodivergent and disabled communities. My research sits at the intersection of health, disability and design, bringing an interaction design and user experience (UX) perspective to co-production, accessibility and emerging technologies.

As Lead of the UNSW Adaptive Design Lab, I collaborate with community partners, health services, industry and researchers to explore how design and other creative practice can contribute to more accessible, equitable and responsive futures. My work examines how technologies, services and systems can be designed with—not simply for—the people who use them, with a particular focus on neurodiversity, disability and co-production.

A key theme of my research is the shift from 'assistive' to 'adaptive' technology design: a strengths-based approach that emphasises agency, creativity and everyday lived experience. Through co-production and community-led methods, I work with autistic people, disabled people, families and support networks to develop more meaningful approaches to technology design and implementation. My research explores embodied and sensory interaction, inclusive design methods, adaptive technologies, and the role these can play in supporting social connection, wellbeing and participation.