Since becoming the inaugural Eva and Marc Besen International Research Chair in Design, Professor Mark Armstrong has played a defining role in expanding the impact of design across industry, healthcare and the broader community. His leadership has brought together global companies, policymakers and researchers to demonstrate how design can drive meaningful societal change.

Armstrong’s contributions as Chair span three interconnected domains: human-centred product innovation, design for health and wellbeing, and multidisciplinary design research. These areas reflect his longstanding commitment to harnessing design to improve quality of life, both locally and internationally.

During his tenure as Chair, Armstrong strengthened Monash University’s design research capability by establishing industry-embedded collaborations that addressed real-world challenges. He co-led Design Health Collab, a team dedicated to designing interventions that improve outcomes for patients and clinicians. Working alongside engineers, clinicians and industry partners, he led projects that reimagined hospital experiences, enhanced the usability of medical devices and shaped new approaches to circular and sustainable design within healthcare systems.

Armstrong’s leadership in health technology design is exemplified by his work with the Monash Vision Group on the Gennaris Bionic Eye. He led the industrial design of the wearable system, integrating bespoke components, titanium structures and rapid prototyping to support clinical requirements. The design was informed by extensive end-user engagement, ensuring both technical performance and sensitivity to the lived experience of people receiving the device.

His design expertise has contributed to globally recognised innovations including the award-winning ResMed S9 Series, the Cochlear N6 Sound Processor, and the Neuromonics tinnitus device, each advancing how medical technologies support users in everyday life. His other work as Founder and Director of Blue Sky Design Group produced iconic projects such as the Sydney 2000 Olympic Torch, Qantas check-ins, and major design programs for clients including Cochlear, ResMed, Breville, Electrolux and the United Nations.

A Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia and an inductee into the Design Hall of Fame, Armstrong has served on international design juries and advisory boards. As an Adjunct Professor of Design at Monash University, he continues to champion circular design, human-centred methodologies and the role of collaborative design in addressing complex societal challenges.