Crampton Smith to leave RCA

Gillian Crampton Smith, the Royal College of Art’s computer related design course director, is leaving at Christmas to set up the new Interaction Design Institute in Ivrea, near Milan in Italy. The facility will focus on the ways people interact with communications and computers.

The RCA is seeking an immediate replacement for Crampton Smith, and her post has already attracted a lot of interest, says RCA Rector Professor Christopher Frayling. ‘We will have no trouble filling the post, as the computer related design sector is extremely buoyant. The problem will be finding a well-respected heavyweight who can devote enough time to teaching,’ he adds.

According to Frayling, the role is a big responsibility. The computer related design department has grown significantly in the ten years since Crampton Smith joined. He says the RCA wants to avoid a hiatus while it seeks her replacement to limit disruption to students.