Arjun Khara, PhD
I am a communications specialist by my first degree, a web and games designer by training, and a researcher and associate professor by my PhD, but I am a teacher at heart. I help organisations learn about themselves, and their stakeholders, through cross-disciplinary courses on user experience design, frontend web development, digital environments, and copywriting.
I help my clients create, and curate, meaningful content pieces by exploring the confluence of human behaviour, social experiences, and cultural perceptions, to discover unique revelations of user preferences in digital and print spaces. By adopting and applying these discoveries, organisations learn how to convert passive users of data into active, and captive, communities for information.
Dr Arjun Khara is the group creative director at Quantico Centre for Communication & Information Literacy, and the course convenor for copywriting, information design, and visual communications courses in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Arjun is also in charge of design ethics & intelligence, and has oversight of the firm’s design standards, websites, and applications for print and digital projects. He is also a co-founder of the Singapore Silent Heroes Awards and served as committee vice president for three years.
In 2014 Arjun began heading visual design research projects in Southeast Asia for startups involved in communications, game design, fixed and kinetic typography, and digital entertainment spaces. In 2017 Arjun moved to the United Kingdom to study on a masters in computer games design, graduating with a first and becoming the valedictorian orator at the graduation ceremony in December 2018. Arjun was awarded his PhD on information design in 2022. He is currently also serving as a senior university lecturer at the University of Leeds where he is the deputy head of school and an EPSRC-funded researcher for AI and data visualisation. See Arjun’s profile at the University of Leeds [+]
Positions
• 2024–present: Associate Professor
• 2022–2024: Senior University Lecturer
• 2018–2022: PhD Researcher and Sessional Lecturer
• 2012–2017: Visual Communications Director
• 2009–2011: Visual Communications Team Lead
• 2005–2009: Copywriter and Graphic Designer
Graphic design
• Adobe Certified Associate PS4
• Adobe CS (Ae, Ai, Au, Br, Dw, Fl, Ic, In, Lr, Pr, Ps, Xd)
• Apple Final Cut Pro and Apple Aperture
• Autodesk SketchBook Pro
• Brand Conceptualisation, UI/UX, and Storytelling
• 2D and 3D Animation, Rigs, Physics, and Inverse Kinematics
Programming
• A-Frame
• Arduino Physical Computing
• FontLab
• Glyphs
• HTML, CSS, Javascript
• Maya
• Unity
• Unreal Engine
• WordPress and Joomla! CMS
• ZBrush
Development
• Agile management
• Design sprints
• SCRUM framework
Publications
• Designed Co-spontaneity: A New Model for Facilitating Pedagogic Practice (International Journal of Applied Management and Research) [+]
• A Brand in My Pocket (ISBN: 978-981-07-1736-0) [+]
• Information design for the post-digital era (ISBN pending) [+]
• Introduction to Copywriting (ISBN: 978-981-11-0512-8) [+]
• Design in Search and Media (ISBN: 978-981-09-9822-6) [+]
Languages
• English (Native)
• Hindi (Native)
• French (Intermediate)
• Japanese (Beginner)
• Mandarin (Beginner)
Clients A-M
• 3M
• AccorHotels
• Audi
• Bayer
• DBS
• Deloitte
• Disney
• Google
• IHG Hotels
• KPMG
• Marina Bay Sands
• McCann World Group
Clients M-Z
• Mindshare
• Ministry of Communication and Information
• Ministry of Defence
• Ministry of Education
• Ministry of Manpower
• National University of Singapore
• OCBC
• SingTel
• StarHub
• Wirecard
• Workforce Development Agency
• Zalora
Education
2018–2022: PhD Information Design and Visual Communication, University of Reading. Thesis: Fairness in design: a model for critically analysing digital government forms (visit the Fairness Design website [+])
2017–2018: MA Computer Games Art and Design (Distinction; Valedictorian) Goldsmiths College, University of London. Thesis: Influence of colour and typography on player experiences and purchase decisions for action-adventure game titles, from 1985 to 2017
May–July 2017: Italian Renaissance Art 1400-1500, University of Oxford: Department of Continuing Education
April–June 2017: Britain and its Empire, University of Oxford: Department of Continuing Education
April–July 2016: Shakespeare Online, University of Oxford: Department of Continuing Education
2002–2005: BA Communication, Media and Culture (Golden Key Hons; Dean’s Merit List; Chancellor’s Merit List) University of South Australia. Practicum: Ethnographic study of the impact of office space design on user interaction and internal communication
2001–2002: Year 1 Certificate, International Hotel Management (Partial Scholarship; Distinction) International College of Hotel Management
Media
Copywriting Across ASEAN: Success in Design and Visual Communication
News article on Arjun’s work at an ASEAN gathering in Brunei on copywriting and design [+]
Developing Digital Strategies for Community Engagement
Marketing Guru Reveals Brand Secrets
Designing a National Award From The Ground Up
Ideology Through Interactive Communication
Understanding ASEAN Stories, Characters and Characteristics
ValleyVolley: A Kickstarter Success Story
Valedictorian Speech, Goldsmiths, University of London
Valedictorian speech, Goldsmiths, University of London, 2018 [+]
Volunteer work
Arjun co-founded the Singapore Silent Heroes Awards in 2014, and served as the committee vice president for three years. He was also responsible for designing the brand and logo marks for the awards. For these works, Arjun was made a recipient of the Honorary Silent Heroes Award, by the Minister of State. Arjun has also volunteered at the Singapore Red Cross, and was a spokesperson for AWARE (Singapore).
In September 2023, Arjun was awarded the Silent Heroes Ambassadors Award in recognition of his 10 year’s service. The award was presented by Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Lawrence Wong at the reception held at the Shangri-La Hotel.
Select works
Building and programming a voice-controlled Mars Rover robot.
Building and programming a sound-sensitive puzzle box.
Designing a fire-fighting game: user-interface and artwork.
19-Fortuna: a team-built third-person shooter computer game.
Designing, conceptualising and deploying Brain Commander.
Retention and monetisation strategies for Brain Commander.
Designing and drawing low-poly art purely with code.
Saving space by designing kinetic flip cards for websites.
Using CSS code and typography to enhance form checkboxes.
CSS3 arrows and pointers for UI enhancement.
An animated tale of angular dimensions.
Creating web animations using pure CSS3 keyframes.
Razor blade game form divs using pure HTML5 and CSS3.
Responsive web design using HTML5 and CSS3 media queries.
UI Dynamic div borders for web and mobile app deployment.
UI Transparent div boxes for web and mobile app deployment.
Google’s material design for web forms.
Flat design with cast shadows in Illustrator.
Mac OS Yosemite Keyboard Shortcuts and Commands.
Perfectly centered elements for web and mobile screens.
A short style video using game element narratives with Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Cinema 4D, Audition, ScreenFlow, Javascript, and A-Frame. Subject: Loikaw Lodge (Myanmar). If the video doesn’t load, please visit my Vimeo channel
Quantico course finder UI isometric grid. If this video doesn’t load, please visit my Vimeo channel
A short on search resulting in simple happiness. If the videis doesn’t load, please visit my Vimeo channel
Continuous loop on content comprising content. If theisvideo doesn’t load, please visit my Vimeo channel
Game concept: Sun to supernova (wish you were here). If the isideo doesn’t load, please visit my Vimeo channel
Silent Heroes Awards 2014 concept to conclusion. If the videis doesn’t load, please visit my Vimeo channel
Let’s Get Growing: A short video-driven game on fishing and finding answers. If the vidiso doesn’t load, please visit my Vimeo channel
Bounce and build concept for new mobile app on architecture for kids. If the video disesn’t load, please visit my Vimeo channel
Just One Line: The story of copywriting. This opening sequence is for a mini-series that tracks the birth and growth of copywriting, visual design, and textuality’s influence across the digital world.
Click the image to see the galaxy in VR. Turn any 2D image into an interactive VR experience. Bonus: See the black hole in at the centre of the galaxy. (To get the full effect, use a VR headset like Oculus Rift or Google Cardboard)
Qumerals: A numeral typeface to augment Quantic’s brand identity. (Brand / Typography / Story / Design).
Designing and defining an identity for WineTime, and the World’s Number 1 Sake Sommelier (2018) Joshua Kalinan. (Brand / Naming / Story / UI / UX / Iconography / Colour / Design / App).
Driving a rustic five-star hospitality experience through video, images, copywriting, typography, and web interfaces (Brand / Story / Color / Design / Typography / Hospitality).
Visually experiencing fruit juices through 3D packaging for Ripe Australian Fruit Juices (Brand / Typography / Story / Colour / Design / Retail Appeal).
Copywriting, designing and re-defining the mobile logistics industry with a Simplr Solution (Brand / Typography / Naming / Story / UI / UX / Iconography / Colour / Design / App).
Designing, prototyping, and copywriting for LeClub Accorhotels loyalty membership websites, apps, and email newsletters.
Copywriting and coding an interactive website experience for our copywriting agency using CSS and (minimal) JavaScript.
A repository of CSS code and tips.
Many client projects have not been included in this portfolio owing to NDAs and contractual obligations, but are available for private viewing and reasonable distribution. Please contact me directly at arjun[@]qc.sg for further copywriting, design, and coding work.