Dr Antonia Ward

Antonia leads the Stylus Advisory team, and represents Stylus publicly at events and in thought leadership. Also on the senior leadership team, she plays a key part in ensuring Stylus remains forward-thinking in everything we do. As our Stylus Diversity, Equity and Inclusion executive sponsor, she works with our DEI Committee, who are passionate about pushing Stylus to greater inclusion and better representation. She came to Stylus in 2013 to create and build the Advisory offering, moving from The Future Laboratory as head of research in the consultancy division.

Her background is in print and online journalism – and her experience is extensive. She was managing editor at The Design Council, where she worked on website and knowledge management projects and represented UK design around the world. She’s also been a magazine editor – working on titles like FX, New Design and Engineering Magazine – and a freelance journalist, with her stories being published in the Financial Times, Blueprint and Design Management Review, among other outlets. She’s also worked in a freelance capacity on research, brand strategy and corporate communications, including a memorable time reporting from TedGlobal in Oxford in 2009.

Antonia is well-known for always asking ‘why?’ and ‘what’s next?’ – and the fact that she gets to ask both as part of what she does every day is a thrill. She is constantly inspired by the power that future trends can offer to brands and businesses of all industries, in all regions. “None of us can ignore how the future will change how we live, and I love to be in a position to be able to share these insights with some of the biggest brands in the world,” she says. “I also love the variety of what we do – one moment, I can be talking about how to create new products for an ice-cream brand; the next, I can be exploring what the 55- to 70-year-olds of 2030 are going to want to do and buy. And then I can switch to exploring the future of the hotel or the future of lab-grown meat!”

She considers it a privilege to work with the talented, committed and curious bunch of humans who make up the Stylus Advisory team. On top of this, she finds it a privilege to support Stylus clients and members – a diverse range of super-smart, forward-looking individuals and organisations.