Professor Sue Walker
- I am Director of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded Design Star Doctoral Training Centre, based at Reading, working with colleagues at Brighton, Goldsmiths, Loughborough and the Open University.
- As Director of Collections and Archives in Typography, I oversee and encourage the use of collections and archives in teaching and research.
- I teach undergraduate and postgraduate students in design practice and lecture on the theory and history of typography and graphic communication.
Areas of interest
My research interests include analysis and description of graphic language, in particular the relationship between prescription and practice in everyday documents,
Postgraduate supervision
I supervise doctoral students in subjects relating to the history and theory of typography and graphic communication, including Isotype, children's books, and the graphic aspects of language. I welcome enquiries from students keen to work with the University's collections and archives as part of their PhD project.Research projects
I am currently working on projects about communicating information about antimicrobial resistance (AMR). "Information design and architecture in persuasive pharmacy space: combating AMR"(IDAPPS) is looking at how community pharmacies can be used to tell people about the risks and prevention of drug-resistant infections. A project on antibiotic resistance communication in Rwanda, funded by the University's GCRF Strategic Fund: Partnership Development Projects, involves work with local communities and pharmacies.
Transforming science: Marie Neurath and Isotype books for children" is an AHRC-funded impact and engagement project about science communication for young people. I am a co-investigator on "Emerging minds: action for child mental health", a network project led by Cathy Creswell, University of Oxford.
Background
From 2007 to 2011 I served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, having previously been Head of the Department of Typography from 1997 to 2007 and Head of the School of Arts and Communication Design from 2004 to 2007. I continue to work on projects across the University. I am an active participant in the Associate All Party Parliamentary Group on Design and Innovation and the Information Design Association.Professional bodies/affiliations
I served in the Art and Design sub-panel for Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2008 and REF 2014, and have been re-appointed for REF 2021. I serve on the AHRC Strategic and Academic Peer Review Colleges. I am a member of the editorial board for Information Design Journal (Benjamins). In 2007, I was elected Fellow of the Design Research Society, and I am proud to be a member of the Double Crown Club.Publications
- Walker, S. , Hignett, S. , Lim, R. , Parkhurst, C. , Samuel, F. (2020) Explaining drug-resistant infection in community pharmacies through effective information design. Design for Health , 4 (1). pp. 82-104. ISSN: 2473-5132 | doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/24735132.2020.1731201
- Kindel, E. , Minns, E. , Nairne, K. , Odling-Smee, A. , Walker, S. (2019) Marie Neurath: Picturing Science.
- Walker, S. (2019) Effective antimicrobial resistance communication: the role of information design. Palgrave Communcations , 5 ISSN: 2055-1045 | doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/s41599-019-0231-z
- Walker, S. , Black, A. , Bessemans, A. , Bormans, K. , Renckens, M. , Barratt, M. (2018) Designing digital texts for beginner readers: performance, practice and process. Learning to read in a digital world. Studies in written language and literacy John Benjamins (17). , Amsterdam. pp. 31-56. ISBN: 9789027201225 | doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/swll.17.02wal
- Walker, S. , Hignett, S. , Lim, R. , Parkhurst, C. , Samuel, F. , Mole, M. (2018) Design, architecture, pharmacy: making a difference to understanding anti-microbial resistance (AMR). (ISBN: 9781843874218)
- Walker, S. (2018) Modernity, method and minimal means: typewriters, typing manuals and document design. Journal of Design History , 31 (2). pp. 138-153. ISSN: 1741-7279 | doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jdh/epx018
- Walker, S. (2017) The contribution of typography and information design to health communication. Design for health. Routledge pp. 92-109. ISBN: 9781472457424
- Walker, S. (2017) Marie Neurath: designing information books for young people. Information design research and practice. Routledge pp. 117-126. ISBN: 9780415786324
- Black, A. , Luna, P. , Lund, O. , Walker, S. , eds. (2017) Information design: research and practice. In: Black, A. , Luna, P. , Lund, O. , Walker, S. (eds.) Routledge , London. pp 600. ISBN: 9780415786324
- Walker, S. (2017) Research in graphic design. The Design Journal , 20 (5). pp. 549-559. ISSN: 1460-6925 | doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14606925.2017.1347416
- Walker, S. , eds. (2013) Book design for children's reading: typography, picture, print. St Bride Foundation , London. pp 224. ISBN: 9780950416137
- Walker, S. (2013) Graphic explanation for children, 1944-71. Isotype: design and contexts, 1925-1971. Hyphen Press , London. pp. 390-437. ISBN: 9780907259473
- Burke, C. , Kindel, E. , Walker, S. , eds. (2013) Isotype: design and contexts 1925–1971. In: Burke, C. , Kindel, E. , Walker, S. (eds.) Hyphen Press , London. pp 554. ISBN: 9780907259473
- Walker, S. (2012) Describing the design of children’s books: an analytical approach. Visible Language , 46 (3). ISSN: 0022-2224
- Walker, S. (2011) Explaining history to children: Otto and Marie Neurath’s work on the ‘Visual history of mankind’ . Journal of Design History , 25 (4). pp. 345-362. ISSN: 1741-7279 | doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jdh/eps031
- Kindel, E. and Walker, S. (2010) Isotype revisited. Il progetto sugli aspetti meno conosciuti di Isotype. Progetto grafico , 18 pp. 48-57. ISSN: 1824-1301
- Burke, C. , Kindel, E. , Walker, S. (2010) Isotype: international picture language. Victoria & Albert Museum
- Walker, S. (2007) Letterforms for handwriting and reading: print script and sanserifs in early twentieth-century England. Typography papers. Typography papers Hyphen Press (7). pp. 81-114. ISBN: 9780907259336
- Reynolds, L. , Walker, S. , Duncan, A. (2006) Children's responses to line spacing in early reading books or "Holes to tell you which line you're on". Visible Language , 40 (3). pp. 246-267.
- Walker, S. , Connare, V. , Scaglione, J. (2005) Fabula: type design. University of Reading
- Walker, S. (2005) 'The books nobody sees': typography in children's reading books. Baseline , 48 pp. 25-32.
- Walker, S. (2005) The books that nobody sees: typography in children's reading books. Baseline (48). pp. 25-32. ISSN: 0954-9226
- Walker, S. , eds. (2005) The songs the letters sing: typography and children's reading. National Centre for Language and Literacy , Reading. pp 23. ISBN: 9780704998469
- Reynolds, L. and Walker, S. (2004) 'You can't see what the words say': word spacing and letter spacing in children's reading books. Journal of Research in Reading , 27 (1). pp. 87-98. ISSN: 0141-0423 | doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9817.2004.00216.x
- Archer, C. , Walker, S. , Reynolds, L. (2004) Typography in nineteenth-century children's readers: the Otley connection. Light on the book trade: essays in honour of Peter Isaac. Print Networks British Library and Oak Knoll Press (6). , London. pp. 118-129. ISBN: 9780712347976
- Walker, S. and Reynolds, L. (2003) Serifs, sans serifs and infant characters in children’s reading books. Information Design Journal , 11 (2/3). pp. 106-122. ISSN: 1569-979X | doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/idj.11.2.04wal
- Walker, S. (2003) The manners of the page: prescription and practice in the visual organisation of correspondence. Huntington Library Quarterly , 66 (3 & 4). pp. 307-329. ISSN: 1544-399X
- Walker, S. , eds. (2000) Typography and language in everyday life: prescriptions and practices. Language in social life Longman , Harlow. pp 224. ISBN: 9780582357556
- Walker, S. and Reynolds, L. (2000) Screen design for children’s reading. Journal of Research in Reading , 23 (2). pp. 224-234. ISSN: 1467-9817 | doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.00116
- Walker, S. (2000) Leading the field or behind the times? Doctoral education in typography and graphic communication . Foundations for the future: doctoral education in design. Staffordshire University Press pp. 337-344.
- Walker, S. (1998) Handwriting skills. The encyclopedia of language and education. Kluwer , Dordrecht. pp. 97-105. ISBN: 9780792345954
- Burke, C. and Walker, S. , eds. (1998) Typography papers, 3. In: Burke, C. and Walker, S. (eds.) Typography papers , 3. Department of Typography & Graphic Communication , Reading. pp 148. ISBN: 0-7049-1123-x
- Walker, S. , Edwards, V. , Blacksell, R. (1996) Designing bilingual books for children. Visible Language , 30 (3). ISSN: 0022-2224
- Walker, S. and Edwards, V. (1996) Some status issues in the translation of children’s books. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development , 17 (5). pp. 339-348. ISSN: 1747-7557 | doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01434639608666287
- Walker, S. and Edwards, V. , eds. (1995) Building bridges: multilingual resources for children. Multilingual Matters , Clevedon. pp 130. ISBN: 9781853592904
- Edwards, V. and Walker, S. (1994) Multilingual resources for children. Language and Education , 8 (3). pp. 147-156. ISSN: 1747-7581 | doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500789409541387