Directors
Teaching staff on our interior design courses, interior decoration courses and garden design courses – both inhouse and online courses – are experienced designers recognised both for their creativity and professional standards. Outside lecturers and tutors are drawn from relevant practices and academic institutions.
Jacqueline Duncan
Principal of the School
Jacqueline Duncan founded the Inchbald School of Interior Design in 1960, extending this to a Faculty in Garden Design in 1972. Her previous working experience included the management of the Michael Inchbald Studios, antique dealing also under the Inchbald banner, and colour consultancy work.
Extensive interior design commissions include both private and commercial work, the last project being a 60 metre yacht, completed with Michael Inchbald.
Jacqueline Duncan has served on the Copyright Committee, the Monopolies Commission and the Westminster City Council, and was a South Westminster magistrate from 1975–1995. She has written extensively in national newspapers and magazines, and has published three books on interior design.
The Inchbald School is now validated by the University of Wales for MA studies in Architectural Interior Design, and Garden Design. In 2006 Inchbald launched the School’s Online courses with Inchbald Online.
Alan Hughes
Vice Principal, Director of the Interior Design Faculty
After obtaining a degree in Visual Communications at Brighton School of Art, Alan Hughes practised as a graphic designer and illustrator, working for a number of leading magazines and publishing houses. Projects included the design of retail spaces, exhibitions, books, ceramics, jewellery and fabrics, and clients varied from Tate in the North to the Uffizi and the Prado.
He has an MA from the University of Brighton in Interior Architecture and Design, writing a thesis discussing the sensory perception of space. He also serves as an External Examiner for the Universities of Wales and Derby.
His teaching experience includes five years at Middlesex University after which he joined Inchbald in 1991. After a period as Director of Visual Communication he took over the Directorship of the Architectural Interior Design Faculty and in 2002 he was appointed Vice Principal of the college.
Alan’s areas of expertise are the principles of design, drawings and graphics, and the theories and philosophies of Interior Design. His book, Interior Design Drawing, was published in 2009.
Read Alan’s blog at alan.inchbald.co.uk.
Andrew Duff
Director of the Garden Design Faculty
Andrew Duff took over as Director of the Garden Design Faculty at Inchbald in 2006.
Educated at the University of Greenwich, where he achieved a BA (Hons) Degree in Garden Design and a Post Graduate Diploma in Adult Education, he became Assistant Landscape Architect to the White Dutton Partnership. He then joined John Brookes as Associate Designer, was involved in teaching the John Brookes Masterclass students and went on to spend five years at Merrist Wood College developing the Garden Design School’s Higher Education programmes.
He has acted as an external verifier and has lectured on a regular basis at Barzi Casaresw in Buenos Aires.
Andrew’s commissions include gardens ranging from a country estate in Devon to an estancia and polo stud on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.
He is a regular contributor to magazines and learned journals and is a member of the Society of Garden Designers.
Read Andrew’s blog at andrew.inchbald.co.uk and follow Andrew on Twitter:
Nicholas Springman
Director of Short Courses, Interior Design Faculty
After studying Estate Management at Kingston, and subsequently at Inchbald, Nico worked in the professional field of interior design for twenty years, gaining an extensive knowledge of business protocols, design principles and design and decorative sourcing. As an assistant designer, he took responsibility for the planning, specifying and management of a number of prestigious projects in London and abroad, and the extensive experience he gained during this period is the special perspective that he brings to his teaching.
He joined Inchbald in 1997 as a tutor, quickly taking over responsibility as Director of all interior design courses of less than twelve months offered by the School.
As a Member of the British Institute of Interior Design, Nico was invited to serve on the Board of the Institute with special accountability for Education and the Continuation of Professional Development.
Read Nico’s blog at nico.inchbald.co.uk.