Senior Researcher
Having completed her MA/MSc in Global Innovation Design from the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London, Adira joined The Young Foundation in 2023. She has a multidisciplinary background in design research, social innovation and visual communication. Adira has lived and worked in India, Japan, Singapore and the UK, gaining experience of designing for different languages and cultural contexts.
With a specialisation in co-design and citizen engagement, she leads a range of mixed-method research projects, from community-led social innovation to supporting peer research training. She has a strong application of participatory design methodologies in her process, and has worked across the areas of education, ecology and social impact to create systems and tools that promote behavioural wellbeing.
Adira’s early career experience began with ornithologists and social scientists at the Nature Conservation Foundation in India, where she created nature education tools and scientific illustrations for outreach programmes. She has since led design research projects with organisations including Nesta, ArtFund, University of Cambridge, and the Mayor of London’s Culture and Community Spaces at Risk Division.
Outside of work, Adira enjoys being outdoors in nature and exploring arts-based events in her neighbourhood. She has a deep affinity for handicrafts, literature, and finding spaces of rest under trees.