Dr Tim Holmes is an award-winning educator and has developed and implemented neuroscience programmes for a range of academic and commercial customers, including Disney and Google. Through his work, Tim examines the neuroscience of how people respond to the spaces they are in and the impact this has on behaviour, attention and motivation.
Career history
After graduating in Mathematics (Sheffield University, UK), Tim travelled the world as a software developer living and working in the US, Asia and Switzerland. He returned to university in 2005 to study Psychology and completed his PhD in visual neuroscience, decision making and aesthetic perception at Royal Holloway, University of London in 2010, where he continues to research and teach and an Honorary Research Associate. In 2011 he co-founded Acuity Intelligence Ltd, which defined itself as a research company grounded on scientific principles, which specialised in real-world applications of eye-tracking, biometrics and cognitive neuroscience.
Research development
During his 7 years as Director of Research, he headed-up all research and development within the company, working with companies as diverse as Spaceoasis, Learniture, the Walt Disney Company, The Guardian, Apple, Coca-Cola, GSK, BAe Systems, BskyB and Jaguar Land Rover to evaluate and optimise product & package design, digital media, mobile apps, interfaces and marketing strategy. He also oversaw the development of software solutions using eye-tracking and biometrics for behavioural research. In 2018, Acuity was acquired by the world’s leading eye-tracking manufacturer Tobii AB, where Tim continued to head up the UK Insights team before commencing freelance consultancy services. He is now the Neuroscience Advisor to Turian Labs and consults on applied vision science with clients including Google, Church and Dwight, Walnut Unlimited and Tobii.
Tim is also a regular speaker on the conference circuit and has contributed to a number of TV and radio shows including Channel 4’s The Secret Life of Buildings, BBC1’s Secrets of the Sales and Radio 4 Design Dimension.
He was scientific advisor for the 2015 Toyota Tacoma “Sal a Jugar: Fun Games” advertising campaign and was awarded Paper of the Year at the Marketing Week Insight Show 2017 in London for his presentation on design confusion which results in erroneous decision making.
