Erika Balcombe

Erika Balcombe is an anthropologist and designer who has lived and worked across Canada. She joined KPU in 2010 after years of design work in the cultural, commercial, high tech, and game design sectors focusing on programming, concept development, and presentation. Her approach to teaching blends her academic foundations in social science with her applied, interdisciplinary design experience to offer unique perspectives on research, methodology, and design communication.

She holds a PhD (c) in Design Anthropology (UBC, 2024), an MA in Anthropology, and BAs in both Museum Studies and Applied Design. While she primarily teaches in the Interior Design program, she has also taught in the Foundations of Design program, and for the Anthropology department at UBC as a sessional lecturer. When not in the office she can be found enjoying the sunshine, skiing, making lists, and doing informal, unstructured research on pop culture and gastronomy.  

Interests:  Experiential & Multi-Sensory Design | Museum & Exhibition | Heritage & Memory | Material Culture | Socio-Cultural Impacts of Western Design Practice