Warren Bramley

I am a strategic designer, futurist and educator with over two decades of experience across the fields of art, design, and innovation.

My career began under the mentorship of the late Anthony H. Wilson at the influential independent record label Factory Records, home to pioneering artists including Joy Division, New Order, and Durutti Column. When digital disruption transformed the music industry in the early 2000s, I pivoted to design, founding the interdisciplinary studio four23—first in Manchester and later expanding to London's Clerkenwell design district. As Creative Director and CEO, I guided four23 to international recognition, establishing a diverse client portfolio spanning global corporations (adidas, Virgin, Stella McCartney), cultural institutions (Somerset House, Royal Exchange Theatre), charities (Médecins Sans Frontières, Fight For Peace), educational institutions (Chetham's School of Music), and civic organisations (Manchester City Council, Norwegian Embassy).

My collaborative projects span multiple creative disciplines, from shaping Manchester’s identity as the 'Original Modern' city alongside designer Peter Saville CBE, to creating visual content for U2's world tours. I've undertaken spatial design experiments with Gehl Architects, envisioned speculative design futures for Morecambe Bay with Aedas, and developed interactive public exhibitions for the London Design Festival. My advisory practice blends strategic design with futures thinking, facilitating transformative processes for organisations ranging from prominent cultural institutions to forward-thinking non-profits. Examples include developing design fictions with Save the Children and the Transition Network, and designing innovative strategic business models for the Medici Quartet in collaboration with NESTA.

My academic qualifications include an MA in Global Political Economy, complemented by professional development as an alumnus of the UK Design Council's inaugural Design Leaders programme at Hult International Business School and as a recipient of the UK Trade and Investment scholarship for the Strategic Executive Program at Northwestern University, Chicago. I maintain strong connections to the wider academic community as a Visiting Fellow at Loughborough University Business School, where I lecture on their MBA programme, and I contribute to the Leadership and Innovation MSc at Atlantic Technology University, working with civil servants from across Ireland.

At the University of Sheffield’s School of Languages, Arts and Societies, I integrate this diverse expertise into teaching and programme development. I guide students in exploring how design-led approaches can address the complex challenges facing today's creative and cultural sectors, emphasising futures thinking as a vital capability within this dynamic and rapidly evolving field.