Cumulus Plus Grantees

Esther is a published author and award-winning multidisciplinary designer and creative practitioner, changing the world one step at a time through Design, Manufacturing, Research, Education and Mentorship. In 2017, she was the first female, African, Black and youngest Designer appointed Product Development Manager, the senior manager in charge of Design at Bata Kenya; the largest footwear manufacturer and retailer in Eastern Africa. Esther has a BA in Design (Honours), footwear training from Arsutoria School – Shoe and Bag Design University, Masters of Arts in Design, and is currently a Doctoral researcher focusing on sustainable transdisciplinary codesign for her PhD. Her designs have been exhibited in MaHalla Berlin, featured in New York Fashion Week, Vogue Magazine, amongst others.
As a Design educator at the Technical University of Kenya, Esther emphasizes breaking down of stereotypical norms and building of confidence through methods like dance, reflective journaling and critical analysis that dismantle systemic barriers. Her teaching methods reflect her experience in theatre and performing arts. The approach to Esther’s practice is initiating mentorship programs, leading sustainability projects and championing social design projects by implementing and providing creative direction within multidisciplinary and multicultural collaborations that improve lives and communities. She has initiated mentorship programs like the Bata Designers Apprentice 2017-2018, Bata Young Designers Challenge 2019, amongst others.

Karla Scherer is a Brazilian PhD researcher and university lecturer in Design. She is currently pursuing her PhD at the Federal University of Parana (UFPR), with academic collaboration with Loughborough University (UK) and a research stay at the Koln International School of Design (KISD- TH Koln). She also teaches Design at the Regional University of Blumenau (FURB), Brazil.

With a background in Design for Sustainable Behaviour and nearly two decades of professional experience as an industrial designer in the household appliance sector, her work bridges academic research, teaching, and industry practice. Her current research lies at the intersection of food systems, social innovation, service design, and women’s agency, focusing on community kitchens in contexts of social vulnerability as collective infrastructures sustained by practices of care and organisation.

Her research investigates how designers can identify and support different expressions of women’s agency within community-based food systems, contributing to more situated, ethical, and socially grounded design practices.

Nazlican Kaymak is a design researcher based in Istanbul, Turkey. She currently serves as a Research Assistant in the Industrial Design Department at Marmara University and is a PhD student at Istanbul Technical University. Her research focuses on sustainability-oriented design with particular attention to how communities develop, share and sustain practices and knowledge through design. She has designed and facilitated participatory design processes in educational projects and in citizen science contexts. Methodologically, she draws on qualitative and participatory approaches, including workshop-based co-creation.

Benjamin Ebo Amissah is a Design educator and enthusiast from Ghana. At
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, he earned both a Bachelor of Arts with honors and a Master of Philosophy in Communication Design. He has four years of professional experience as a senior graphic designer in the industry. In Ghana, West Africa, he is currently an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba and a PhD
candidate at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi. Branding, Packaging Design, Interactive Design, and Cultural Identity are his areas of interest and research. Benjamin is a formidable force in his workplace, using his optimistic outlook and boundless energy to inspire people to work hard and achieve success.

Dr. Muhammad Hussnain Sethi is an Assistant Professor and Head of the School of Fine Arts, Design, and Architecture at GIFT University, Gujranwala Pakistan. He is the first Pakistani to hold a doctoral degree in fashion design. He pursued his Ph.D. in fashion design from Jiangnan University in China.

From 2017 to 2021, he was at the Fashion Design and Branding Studio of the School of Design at Jiangnan University in Wuxi, China. Before that he received his Master’s degree in fashion design from Wuhan Textile University, where he was awarded a Master’s scholarship for his outstanding undergraduate thesis on a new concept for military camouflage clothing based on owl skin patterns.

After completing his Master’s degree, he returned to Pakistan and joined the National Textile University as a Lecturer and Program Coordinator of the Fashion Design Department. He has extensive experience in academia, research, and the corporate sector, having worked with a variety of Pakistani, Chinese, and international brands.

Colour Designer, Researcher & Consultant. PhD in Design Research, Politecnico di Milano. MA in Image Studies, UAH. Member of the Executive Committee of the International Colour Association (AIC). Member of the Editorial Board of the Color Research & Application, WoS Journal. Member of the Steering Committee of the AIC+ISCC Colour Literacy Project. Member of Study Group on Colour Education (SGCE) and the Study Group on Environmental Colour Design (ECD) of AIC. Assistant Professor of the Design Department of Universidad de Chile. Since more than 15 years, is a full time researcher in the field of colour, developing methodologies for its study, teaching, and application in design, architecture, and art concerning other research areas such as visual and curatorial studies. She has presented specialized conferences and workshops in different countries in America, Asia, Europe and Oceania.

He graduated in Doctor philosophy degree of Architectural Design, Faculty of Architecture and Engineering, University of Ulsan, South Korea. Registered of Asian Architect (AA/LA12) and Association of Lao Architects and Civil Engineers. Since 2016 he is promoted from head of the department of architecture to vice dean of academic affair. In charge of 2 departments (Architectural Department and Interior Architecture Department) with 4 programs such as: architectural design program, Interior Architecture design, architectural construction management and Lao Architecture. His Research interested is Urban Planning and Smart City, Architectural Conservation, His previous article published in Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, and Architectural Institute of Korea.

Ms. Danh Tran is the Vice President of VDAS Vietnam Design Association | Hochiminh city. She is also the Founder & CEO of VMARK Vietnam Design Award, the anchor event of VDAS Association celebrated in VMARK Vietnam Design Week annually. Its main mission is to build a connection between Designers, Entrepreneurs, and International Organizations. It redefines the local Design Community identity with a fresher look to the world. With over 30 years of management experience in the design industry, Ms. Danh Tran is a seasoned professional well-versed in every facet of her field.

As a keynote speaker at prestigious design conferences both domestically and internationally, Ms. Tran shares her insights and experiences, contributing to the advancement of the Vietnamese design landscape. Collaborating with the Association, she endeavors to establish a strong and recognizable identity for the Vietnamese Design and Creative Community on a global scale.

Lecturer, Design and Publishing

Lecturer, Department of Fine Arts and Design

Departmental Chair, Lecturer

Associate Professor & Coordinator, Graduate Program in Design
Visiting Professor, Master’s in Product Design & Innovation, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE)

Assistant Professor of Healthcare Management and Innovation

Claudia is Assistant professor at the Federal University of
Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA) in Brazil, teaching and supervising students at both graduate and undergraduate levels. She is member of the Inclusion and Diversity Committee at UFCSPA, member of the Editorial Board of the UFCSPA Publishing House, Member of the Advisory Committee of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at FAPERGS, convenor of Global Health Special Interest Group at Design Research Society, editorial board member of CoDesign Journal, and Fellow of Loughborough University. Her areas of interest are design for health, inclusive design, diversity, equity, accessibility and social innovation in healthcare design, focusing her research on minorities, vulnerable communities, people with disabilities, women, and populations in LMICs.

Principal Lecturer for Graphic Design

Grettel was born in Cuba and immigrated to South Africa at the age of 3 years old. Obtained a Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) and Bachelor of Technology (BTech) cum laude and graduated in April 2023 with an MA degree in Fine Arts from Nelson Mandela University. She was awarded the Rupert Family Trust Award, Best BTECH Graduate: Social Sciences &
Humanities, Nelson Mandela University (2020). She held a contract position at NMU as the coordinator of the Writing, Research, Intensive program for 1st-year BVA degree from 2023-2024. Currently, she is permanently employed at EDUVOS higher institute of education in the position of principal lecture in Graphic Design. Showcased work in both regional and national art exhibitions including the Sasol New Signatures competition (2018; 2019; 2021); the National Arts Festival (2018; 2021); the 14th National Conference of the South African Journal of Art History (and presented a student track paper in 2020); and exhibited her first Solo show in 2023 in collaboration with the Faculty of Business and Economics at Nelson Mandela University, for the public lecture by Martina Bienne.

Lecturer, Design and Publishing

Mark is a Lecturer and an expert in the field of Design and Publishing. He is currently a lecturer and examination officer in his department at the Kumasi Technical University, Kumasi – Ghana, West Africa. He specializes in Printing, branding, packaging, interactive design, and cultural identity. He has extensive practical knowledge as a seasoned senior graphic designer with sixteen years of experience. He holds a Master of Philosophy in Communication Design. As a dedicated educator, he strives to ignite a passion for the power of communication design both in the classroom and the design studio.

Director of the International Design Center (CID-UNR) at National University of Rosario. Founder and Permanent Secretary of Institutional Management of DiSUR, “Latin American Network of Design Programs in Public Universities.” Organizer of “Making Design Today” National Days of reflection on the field of current Design.

Mashal Junaid is Lecturer and Thesis Supervisor at the prestigious School of Fine Arts, Design, and Architecture (SFADA) within GIFT University, located in Gujranwala, Pakistan. She holds bachelor’s degree in Fashion and Textile Design and currently pursuits a MPhil in Arts and Design by gathering insights into students’ preferences and behaviors in the realm of fashion education.

She was engaged in several collaborative projects, including co-teaching fashion forecasting in collaboration with Polimoda and the presentation of a fashion collection at Runway Dubai. Mashal is also a skillful contributor to the organization of workshops, thesis displays and exhibitions.

Dr. Smriti Saraswat is trained as an architect and interior designer. She is currently Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture and Planning, and a joint faculty member in the Department of Design, at IIT Roorkee. She was awarded with a Letter of Merit for academic excellence in Master of Interior Architecture and Design, from the CEPT University, Ahmedabad. Her Ph.D. (completed at IIT Roorkee) is an attempt to explore and investigate material culture, traditional architecture and building crafts of the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand in India, with a focus on community-based knowledge systems.

She has received research grants from Indian Ministries of Education, Culture, Tourism, Housing and Urban Affairs; National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development; DAAD and BMBF Germany. She has a work experience of fifteen years, combining research, teaching and consultancy. She loves to travel; document; read; create photo essays; collaborate; and tell stories.

Professor Javier Lorca is a Designer, graduated in the P. Universidad Católica de Chile and Master in Product Design from the UPC-BCN, Catalunya Esp., currently being Assistant Professor at the University of Talca – Chile. His work is concentrated in Final Degree Project Workshops, with 4th and 5th year students and the Thesis work and the Final Project, having guided more than 250 student projects. His work area focus on the application of Systemic methodologies, as a tool for the detection and analysis of Design opportunities, as well as the addition of value in agribusiness.

For the development of projects, he coordinates various short series techniques with rapid production technologies supported by CAD-CAM systems.

Currently, Professor Lorca is studying a PhD in Law, Economics and Business at the University of Girona, in which he investigates how you can effectively connect entrepreneurs with design service providers.

Joseph holds a BFA in Graphic Design and Masters in Communication Design degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He joined academia in 2016 as an assistant lecturer at Ho Technical University (formerly Ho Polytechnic), where he was involved in teaching various courses in Graphic design and conducting research. In 2020, he was promoted to the rank of a lecturer to teach courses such as Packaging Design, Printing, Advertising, Introduction to Graphic Design, Typography.

His research interest is to extensively explore issues of ethics, standards and practices surrounding Graphic Communication design education and sustainable packaging design practices. He is an active member of Design Institute of Ghana (DesignGhana – a professional body championing design education and practices in Ghana), and a member of the Pan Afrikan Design Institute (PADI) and Ghana Art Teachers Association (GATA).

Liandra holds a National Diploma and BTech in Textile Design & Technology from Tshwane University of Technology as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Sustainable Development at the University of Stellenbosch.

After a career as a textile designer in one of Africa’s biggest fashion & homeware retailers, Liandra became aware of the vast negative impacts of the fashion and textile industry. She joined the social movement organisation Fashion Revolution, from a volunteer to becoming a director of the South African office. She has been educating and lobbying towards a just transition. While studying, she had the opportunity to explore a variety of topics pertaining to the complex dynamics of planning for just and equitable futures in South Africa, Africa and beyond. Finally, she narrowed her focus and energy to the field of creative education as a pivotal leverage point for change. She believes that education can be a tool for empowerment and transgression of the normative behaviors of societies that fail to serve the most vulnerable members of our collective social systems.

MF Noori is the international fashion designer, fashion choreographer & fashion academic professional. He got a 4-year BA(Hon’s) fashion design degree from Le Ecole La Chambre de Syndicale Paris, France in care of (PIFD) Pakistan Institute of Fashion and M.Phil. in Management Sciences (specialized in Fashion Marketing) from GIFT University, Pakistan. Since December 2007 he is working as an Assistant Professor at the fashion design faculty and thesis supervisor in SFADA School of Fine Art, Design & Architecture of GIFT University.

Natacha Poggio is a social impact educator, TEDx speaker, and advocate of design for social change.

José Ignacio López Ramírez Gastón holds a PhD in Computer Music from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) where he studied under the supervision of Miller Puckette.

Dr. Noha Essam is a Design Educator, Interior Architect, Interdisciplinary Designer, Creative Trend Consultant, Futurist and a certified Environmental Psychologist.

Ralitsa is a design researcher affiliated with the Design Research Activity Workgroup network (DRAWn) – Afrika at KNUST and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), South Africa.

Schalk is a design educator interested in philosophy, art and design, and design education, completing doctoral studies on a new epistemology of design.

Kenan Zekic is a design educator and multidisciplinary designer particularly interested in social impact design. In recent years Kenan’s academic and professional focus is set on design and technology relationships and practices in underdeveloped regions.

Andréia De Bernardi is a Brazilian art-educator who works at the intersections of art, cultural heritage, and design. Doctoral student working at the Social Design Integrated Center (CIDS);

Samuel Kwame’s research interests focus on Rhinoceros 3D, Computer Aided Learning, Idea development from nature, illustrated cartoons.

In her work, Biljana Jovic deals with geometry, graphics, new technologies, and interventions in space. She combines the approach of landscape architects as well as engineers and an artistic approach to geometric principles to find beauty and expression.

Edward Appiah is committed to the philosophy and practice of sustainable, socially responsive (and responsible) design and recognizes its potential in promoting equity and quality of life in Africa and beyond.

Sofía Alamo is a teaching researcher in new media and digital culture at the School of Communication Studies and Multimedia Design (Maimónides University) and a teaching assistant at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA).

Aditi Deshpande is a passionate architect and designer; she has worked on projects with a variety of typologies though her love is residential and interior architecture. She has been a design practitioner for the past 20 years and has a rich experience of over 12 years in teaching architecture and design.

Pablo Bercovich is an Argentine specialist in strategic design management for the industry. Designer, Professor and Researcher of the Buenos Aires’ University. General Coordinator of the National Plan of Design of the Ministry of Production of the Argentine Nation.

Dhafer Ben Khalifa is a teacher, designer and founder of ’Collective Creatif’ association aimed at promoting culture through creative industries. He tries to contribute to the promotion of Tunisian Design through his coaching activity as a university assistant, and through his personal work and various collaborations with international funders.

Gordana Vrencoska is an interdisciplinary artist, designer and educator. Vrencoska is one of the founding members of the Faculty of Art & Design at the European University in Skopje, R. of Macedonia and serves as its Vice Dean for academic affairs since 2011.