Meet our Staff

David Gardener

Senior Lecturer
Graphic Design & Digital Media

Personal Statement

Welcome to Media Arts, truly a student-centred creative establishment. A bit about me - I initially trained and was employed as a medical illustrator (saw some sights, believe me) and needed something to settle the stomach but stir the soul. So I migrated to Graphic Design, along when 'Spandex' was popular and everyone (yes, even me) was wearing Katharine Hamnett 'Frankie Say Relax' t-shirts (although mine was probably a knock-off).

I worked with various agencies in the UK as a graphic designer, and more recently as a Design lecturer at the Solent University in Southampton. In 2004 I emigrated to New Zealand with my family to continue the lecturing role. I have a passion for anything involving Graphic Design, Animation, and Illusion (in no particular order).

Graphic Design is about problem solving. I am a problem solver, but I also like creating problems - not nasty ones, but creative ones. This is where my passion for illusion and design fuse. Magic is all about making you think that you saw something happen in a particular way, design is about making you think in a particular way. The two are intrinsically linked, and there you have me as a person - a creative deceiver.

Here's the official bit: since 1998 I have worked on a wide range of digital-based Honours and Degree level projects. In 1999 I completed my teacher training in Postgraduate education, and in 2000 I was awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Research. I completed my Masters (in Media) in July 2003 with a distinction from Nottingham and Trent University in the UK. I teach across the Digital and Graphic pathways in Media Arts which include 3D Animation, Digital/Graphic Design and Illustration.