Remembering Rachel Cooper: A Design Pioneer's Legacy
25 July 2025 by Ed
We are saddened to hear the recent news about the passing of Professor Lady Rachel Cooper OBE, a long-standing, highly respected and valued member of the Creative Lancashire Board and champion for design innovation in the county.
Professor Lady Rachel Cooper OBE
Professor Lady Rachel Cooper OBE, was a distinguished and highly influential figure and played a pivotal role in establishing design as an academic and research discipline in the UK and across the globe. Rachel's influential and extensive academic career includes positions at Lancaster University, and her foundational contributions to design research, policy - specifically the integration of design into public policy.
Rachel Cooper's contributions to design and creativity in Lancashire were profound and instrumental, primarily stemming from her impactful roles at Lancaster University. She held the position of Distinguished Professor of Design Management and Policy at the university, a testament to her expertise and influence in shaping the academic discourse around design – considered by many as a thought leader in her field.
Central to her legacy in the region was her leadership of ImaginationLancaster and directorship of the related Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts (LICA). Rachel was directly responsible for establishing the institution, which was conceived as an open and exploratory design-led research centre. Under her direction, ImaginationLancaster conducted both applied and theoretical research into a broad spectrum of areas, including people, products, places, and their intricate interactions. Her pioneering work in establishing and leading this centre was significant, underscoring her pivotal role in fostering a vibrant research environment.
"We were incredibly fortunate at Creative Lancashire to have Lady Professor Rachel Cooper OBE on our board, and what a breath of fresh air she was. A confident, passionate and knowledgeable woman who would champion the creative cause with energy and drive. Her passion for Design Leadership and how it could change the world for the better was extraordinary. On a personal level she was kind, considerate and caring. She will be sadly missed."
Ruth Raban FRSA Enterprise Fellow at Manchester Metropolitan University Former Director of Creative Lancashire
Beyond ImaginationLancaster, Rachel also served as a trustee on the Creative Lancashire Board, further solidifying her influence across the broader creative and academic landscape within Lancashire and internationally by fostering key relationships with sector bodies including Design Council, British Council and numerous transnational programmes. The influence of Rachel's work with Creative Lancashire is still visible in the work it continues today and forms part of a lasting legacy. This personified her commitment to nurturing future talent and expanding the very boundaries of design scholarship.
Her research encompassed design thinking, design management, design policy, design for wellbeing, and socially responsible design. Her work also spanned sustainability, wellbeing, crime prevention, and socially responsible innovation, consistently bridging academia, government, and industry to exemplify how design could address complex societal challenges.
Since receiving the news of her passing on 17 July, in the numerous tributes others have acknowledged her personal qualities as a devoted family member, inspirational colleague, mentor and friend to many.
Furthermore, Rachel was a prolific PhD supervisor, profoundly impacting the careers of many new design researchers and academics who studied under her guidance in Lancashire and beyond.
Creative Lancashire Board meeting @ ImaginationLancaster