About

John Lancaster is the founder of A—HUMAN, an independent design practice working across branding, media, and digital enterprise. His career spans creative direction, art, technology, and business development.

Originally from Worksop near Sheffield, Lancaster began his career after studying literature, leaving college to establish a community art studio. At 19, he relocated to London, where he worked as a data analyst for PRS and the BBC. This led to nearly a decade in music technology with The Synthesizer Company (TSC), followed by roles in multimedia and studio operations.

In 2010, he moved left-field into fashion, joining Hackett and then Dunhill as Head of Customer Relations. These roles catalysed a shift into high-fashion and experimental design, where he focused on creating concept-led, highly personal collections and large installations, like at the Arts Club, Dover St for 5 years consecutively.

In 2015, he secured private investment to launch VSMONO (VSM™), a Kensington-based design studio initially focused on limited-edition brands, couture, suits and art. As the studio expanded into international markets and new disciplines—including publishing, brand development, advertising, UI/UX, and digital commerce—it became clear the original name no longer reflected its evolving purpose. In response, the studio was rebranded as A—HUMAN: a conscious departure from fashion-first thinking toward a broader, more ethical design philosophy—committed to transparency, circular economies, and designing out waste. The name change marked a shift in mindset as much as practice: from object-making to impact-making, inspiring multiple industries.

A note on AI

A—HUMAN actively integrates generative AI into the creative process—not to replace human responsibility, but to sharpen relevance and improve iteration. Used well, it becomes part of the aesthetic vocabulary, as demonstrated in recent projects for Logically AI and Monksleigh.

If you're unsure how AI is influencing branding, enterprise and project development, a demonstration can be arranged.

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