Joel Gethin Lewis in Conversation

Joel studied Mathematics and Computer Science at Imperial and completed an MA in Interaction Design at the Royal College of Art, developing a passion for work that allows for real-time interaction between people, places, stories and objects. For over 20 years, Joel’s research and vision has enabled cultural organisations, brands and NGOs to surprise, engage and connect with their audiences in ever more innovative ways. His research and creative vision is behind experiences for the Tate Modern, Greenpeace, Adidas, Nike, Diesel, The Tower of London and the Victoria & Albert Museum. As Interaction Designer at UVA, he toured with U2 and Massive Attack before co-founding the open source craft, design and technology studio Hellicar&Lewis. Joel combines his work for Universal Everything with his teaching practice at the Creative Computing Institute in London. He is also a mentor at Arts Emergency, which aims to increase access to the arts and humanities to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

For over 20 years, UK based art and design collective Universal Everything has created vibrant experiences that mesmerise and enchant audiences. Fascinated by creating ‘soulful technology’, they subvert cinematic CGI, physics simulations and real-time generative design. Through these tools, they create new forms, interactive figures and emotions. Their work explores movement, form and colour to create a world of friendly, hyperreal beings. Beneath the high-end visual effects, the creative process begins with simple hand-drawn sketches and prototypes. Universal Everything use emerging display technologies as their canvas. They take a stylised, playful approach to design, architecture, nature and digital life.