The world of British design education has lost one of its most influential figures with the death of Peter Lloyd-Jones, aged 92. A visionary educator who uniquely fused scientific rigour with artistic creativity, Lloyd-Jones transformed Kingston Polytechnic into a leading national centre for design and pioneered groundbreaking courses.
From Chemistry Labs to the Slade: A Unique Career Path
Born in Farnham, Surrey, Peter was the son of Nellie and Howell Lloyd-Jones, a railway worker. His early life was shaped by the Second World War, during which he and his younger sister Margaret were evacuated to Wadebridge in Cornwall. The death of his father during the conflict left his mother to raise the family alone in London.
Despite showing early artistic promise, Peter initially pursued chemistry at Imperial College London, seeing science as a route to financial security. He earned a doctorate from King’s College, Cambridge, in 1959. However, feeling increasingly unfulfilled, he made a bold career switch, enrolling at the prestigious Slade School of Art. He funded his studies through a research post at the Courtauld Institute, investigating the science behind conserving Old Master paintings.
This dual expertise became the bedrock of his professional life. In 1960, he met ceramicist Jenifer Lawson Barnes; they married in 1963 and had two daughters, Myfanwy and the author of his obituary.
Architect of a Design Education Powerhouse
Peter Lloyd-Jones's academic career was defined by innovation. In the 1960s, he established a novel department focusing on the technology of artists' materials at Wimbledon School of Art. His most significant impact came in 1972, when he was appointed head of the School of Three-Dimensional Design at Kingston Polytechnic (now Kingston University).
Under his leadership, Kingston grew into one of the UK's most prestigious design schools, a status cemented when its work was featured in a 1984 exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Never one to stand still, Lloyd-Jones later founded the UK’s first postgraduate course in design for film and television at Kingston. His influence extended internationally through a 14-year advisory role at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki.
A Public Voice on Design and Taste
Beyond academia, Peter Lloyd-Jones was a gifted communicator who brought discussions on design and aesthetics to a broad audience. From the 1960s to the 1990s, he was a frequent voice on BBC and Channel 4, contributing to programmes like An Englishman’s Home on BBC Radio 3 (1977) and Design Matters (1990).
His 1991 book, Taste Today, was critically acclaimed, winning the International Robert Maxwell Prize for New Writing on Design Thinking. He later wryly noted that he was among the few to have actually profited from Maxwell. Upon his retirement in 1993, he was honoured with the title of emeritus professor at Kingston University.
Throughout his life, he maintained his own artistic practice, participating in group shows, holding three solo exhibitions, and completing decorative work for architectural projects. In retirement in Cornwall, he returned passionately to painting and also discovered a new creative outlet in writing poetry.
Peter Lloyd-Jones is survived by his wife Jenifer, his daughters Myfanwy and the obituarist, his sister Margaret, and two grandchildren, Rhiannon and Benedict.
