After studying Philosophy and Art History at Cambridge Gillian worked as a graphic designer while teaching at London’s Central School of Art. Inspired by the 1980 edition of the ITC type magazine Upper and Lower Case about computers in graphic design, she bought an Apple II computer in order to program an application to help her to do magazine layout. This experience convinced her that the everyday knowledge and skills of graphic designers could help in the design of software. Moving to St Martin’s School of Art in 1982, where she started the computer studio, she initiated a graduate course for graphic designers to realise the potential of computers in their field. In 1989, appointed Senior Tutor at the Royal College of Art (RCA), she developed its department of Computer Related Design (CRD) and later became its professor. Convinced of the value of collaborations between designers and technology companies for both sides, CRD developed collaborations both in Britain and in Silicon Valley. These included Apple in Cupertino which, through the Apple Design competition, arranged events and internships for CRD students, and Interval Research, the Palo Alto company founded by Paul Allen, which funded the ten members of CRD’s interaction Design Research Group, exchanging designers and engineers between Cupertino and London. These collaborations allowed Gillian to spend many summers in Silicon valley.

In 2000 Gillian was invited to become the first Director of Interaction Design Institute Ivrea, a centre for advanced teaching and research sponsored by Telecom Italia and Olivetti. Building on her experience at the RCA, Interaction Ivrea was supported by a rich network of international experts for its advisory board and as visiting teachers.

From 2006-2014 together Gillian and Philip Tabor started and ran the Interaction Design route at Iuav University of Venice, starting many Italian students on a career in Interaction Design.

In 2014 Gillian received the Lifetime Achievement in Practice Award from ACM, the leading international professional association for computing and was appointed Honorary Professor at Potsdam University of Applied Sciences where she and Philip Tabor continued to teach for several years.  

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