Asha Ward

I’m a Postdoctoral Researcher in Creative Technology at Arts University Bournemouth, where I work at the intersection of music technology, human–computer interaction, and accessible systems design.

My background is in music technology and digital media, and I have over a decade of experience working across research, teaching, and real-world innovation projects. A defining thread throughout my career has been designing interactive technologies with people rather than for them, particularly in disability, education, and care contexts. This has shaped my approach to innovation as something grounded in lived experience, creativity, and collaboration, rather than purely technical optimisation.

At AUB, my work focuses on developing and supporting participatory, co-designed research and innovation projects that bring together researchers, communities, educators, and external partners. I lead and contribute to projects exploring accessible music technologies, immersive audio-visual environments, and creative digital tools, and I work closely with partners to translate research into meaningful social and cultural impact.

Alongside this, I coordinate the Creative Tech Response Lab (CTRL), an interdisciplinary research group exploring ethical, responsive, and socially engaged creative technologies. Across my work, I’m particularly interested in how creative technologies can enable expression, agency, and connection and how innovation can be shaped by care, inclusion, and shared values.