Design Principles & Practices Research Network

International PhD in Design and Innovation, Ivo Caruso is Researcher (RTDB) at the University of Napoli "Federico II”. He has been adjunct professor at Sapienza University of Rome, Camerino University, Bari Polytechnic University and Accademia delle Belle Arti di Napoli. He has been editor of the different scientific journals and book series. He is author of more than 80 scientific publications, including monographs, chapters in books, conference proceedings, and articles in leading national and international journals.

Erik Ciravegna, PhD in Design, is a Researcher at the Department of Architecture, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, where he is a member of the Advanced Design Unit (ADU) and Coordinator of the Packaging Innovation Observatory. His research and teaching focus on communication design, with expertise in packaging and product identity systems. He investigates the ethical dimensions of design, with attention to circularity and sustainability. He also develops methods and tools that foster design education and promote human creativity and well-being.

From participatory design research to immersive artistic practice, Associate Professor Francesca Valsecchi works at Tongji University, College of Design and Innovation, in Shanghai. She established the Ecology and Cultures Innovation Lab to discuss and experiment on more-than-human design and the challenges of post-development paradigms in urban regeneration and public services. Research encompasses published, speculative, and exhibition works on mapping ecosystems, ethnography of waterscapes, ecological data, urban-nature interactions, urban-rural innovation and sustainable food systems. She is an expert in the tools and methods of ethnography, design anthropology, and data visualisation.

Associate Professor at the University of Genoa, Architecture and Design Department, since 2023. Her studies focus on service design strategies applied to the circular economy and social innovation, collaborating with local companies and public institutions. She is the contact person for the Desislab Unige team. She is currently working as scientific manager on the Interreg Maritime Super_eco project, that promotes circular economy models through networking and fostering reuse centres across different partners.

Chiara Scarpitti, designer and PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Campania "L.Vanvitelli." She is the Author of numerous essays, monographs, and the Principal Investigator of several scientific design projects. From 2006, she has been working as a designer at an international level, obtaining awards and exhibiting her works in renowned galleries and museums. Her practice-based research is characterised by the speculative hybridisation of advanced manufacturing processes and digital technologies related to contemporary fashion and design objects.

Annapaola Vacanti, PhD, is a designer and assistant professor (RTDA) at Università Iuav di Venezia. Her research is framed in the field of Interaction Design, with a focus on the challenge of combining ethical aspects, human factors and sustainability in the relationship with technologies. Parallel to her academic career, she is the curator and organiser of TEDxGenova, an autonomous event operating under official TED licence for the local dissemination of valuable ideas.

Monica Pastore is a graphic designer and researcher specializing in the history and practice of graphic design at the Polytechnic University of Bari. Her main research interests focus particularly on the investigation and historical reconstruction of topics that have remained marginal in national historiography, such as the transition to digital in the Italian context during the 1980s and 1990s, the spread of the discipline in Southern Italy, and the contributions of Italian women designers. Alongside the historical dimension of the discipline, she also conducts design-based research on gender communication.

Amina Pereno, PhD, is an assistant professor at Politecnico di Torino, where she is the vice director of the Sys - Systemic Design Lab. She has been a Lagrange Project fellow at the ISI Global Science Foundation and a visiting researcher at the Nordic Center for Sustainable Healthcare. Her research focuses on systemic design for sustainable transitions, particularly in cross-sectoral environments and multi-stakeholder co-design processes. She has participated in and coordinated numerous EU projects that intersect design, sustainability, and professional education.

Xue Pei, PhD, Junior Assistant Professor in the Department of Design at Politecnico di Milano and a member of the Design+Strategies research group. She has served in the Department’s Research Delegation and was a visiting researcher at Delft University of Technology and Chalmers University of Technology. Her research explores the strategic role of design in driving innovation in organisations and complex systems. Her current work focuses on sustainable and circular transformation in the furniture sector through servitization and design-driven approaches.

Chiara Lecce, PhD, is Associate Professor of Interior Architecture and Exhibition Design at the Department of Design of the Politecnico di Milano. Since 2021, she has been Secretary of the Coordinating Committee for the Bachelor's program in Interior Design and the Master's program in Interior and Spatial Design at the School of Design of the Politecnico di Milano. In 2021, she co-founded the publishing house Cratèra. Since 2022, she has been a member of the Executive Board of AIS/Design (Italian Association of Design Historians).

Architect, PhD in Industrial Design, she is a Researcher in Design at the Department of Architecture, University of Palermo. Her scientific interests range from Lighting Design to Exhibition Design, with a particular focus on cultural heritage and production, topics on which she has authored several articles, essays, and the monograph *Exhibition Design Stories. Methods and practices of cultural experience* (LetteraVentidue, 2022). In the field of product design, her attention to production processes in specific environmental contexts is characterized by a focus on socio-cultural and narrative aspects.

Gigi Polo is a Dominican designer, filmmaker, researcher, and educator; her interdisciplinarypractice brings together art and design, pedagogy, and research. As a creative practitioner andactivist, Gigi’s investment in mental health and social justice activism led her to produce MadlyGifted—a documentary that explores the relationship between bipolar disorder and artistictemperament (2003, madlygifted.com). Her passion for teaching lies at the intersection ofstudent-centered instruction and brain-based learning, with a focus on the neuroscience behindholistic learning within art and design settings. Informed by this passion, in 2017, Gigi completedher book Second Language through Design[ing], which provides a DEI framework—andteaching strategies—through a language-justice lens to cater to BIPOC communities inmainstream classrooms. In 2019, Gigi started pilot-testing Sprint-to-Pacing, her evidence-basedresearch on intensive learning formats, which has now coalesced into her investigation onneurodivergence; by blending a compressed curriculum, space design, and new technologies,Gigi aims to create sustainable and inclusive spaces where neurodivergents and neurotypicalsdevelop an equitable, mutualistic symbiotic relationship.

Designer and researcher. Currently Assistant Professor at IE School of Architecture and Design. PhD in Fine Arts, specialized in Contemporary Drawing (Universidade de Lisboa, 2024), Master in Technology Intelligence and Digital Design (Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, 2016). Extensive experience in interdisciplinary design disciplines in academic and professional environments. Her research interests lie at the intersection of design, art and technology in the context of post-digitalization and acceleration. She explores these topics through phenomenology, affective atmospheres, relational, slow and situated design/art practices in educational, urban and natural environments.

Hualan Gou is a PhD student in Design at the University of Lisbon and a member of CIAUD. She holds a Master's degree in Product and Service Design from the University of Rome. Her focus is on sustainable product design, with an emphasis on sustainable consumption and production. Her research interests also include user experience (UX), user research, and a particular interest in sustainable products made from recycled materials.

Dr. Rick leBrasseur is an Assistant Professor in Landscape Architecture at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada. He teaches design studios to 1st year and 4th year students focusing on the experiential qualities of green spaces and how they impact socio-emotional wellbeing. Prior to entering academia, Rick contributed over 20 years in professional practice as a landscape urbanist in the United States with Charles Anderson Atelier, Hargreaves Associates, and EDAW/AECOM collaborating on internationally award winning socio-ecological projects. His research promotes evidence-based design to contextualise strategies which bring together individuals, communities, and the spatial landscape.

Betty R. Torrell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Architecture and Design at Morgan State University with a focus on scholarship in innovative design education. Her research emphasizes transformative pedagogies—specifically, student agency, experiential learning (ExL), and Generative AI tools—to empower emerging designers in the classroom, emphasizing the principles of student agency and critical thinking. Torrell’s international work encompasses adaptive reuse, cultural heritage, and inclusive design, aligning with the conference's mission to foster interdisciplinary dialogue on design principles and pedagogies in education.

Hirbod Human is a PhD student in Design, Aesthetics & the Arts at Florida Atlantic University, where his research focuses on the philosophical and cultural dimensions of contemporary art, visual media, and aesthetic experience. His interdisciplinary work examines how narrative, embodiment, and human psychology shape meaning across transcultural contexts. Alongside his scholarly research, he maintains an active practice in creative writing and filmmaking, exploring themes of identity, memory, and sociocultural transformation through artistic forms. His work reflects a sustained commitment to understanding how design and aesthetics shape perception, cultural expression, and the formation of meaning.

Morgan Ricard is a 2nd-year PhD candidate in the Design Department of Politecnico di Milano with a background in Service Design and Visual Communications. Her current research (Design for Organisational Change driven by Capability Building within a Systemic Approach to Climate Neutrality) takes a systemic view of capability building for organisational change through learning. It investigates how increased understanding of systems can impact organisational change through capability building and learning within the context of climate action in public administration organisations. Morgan has worked for 2 years on the EU Mission project NetZeroCities as a researcher and facilitator, supporting peer-to-peer learning opportunities for municipalities across Europe.

Martin Bonney is a PhD candidate at the Royal College of Art, School of Arts and Humanities, and a student Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute. He also teaches on the Fashion Design and Technology programme at Manchester Metropolitan University. His research explores sustainable craft futures, focusing on how embedded, collaborative, and experimental making practices can shape resilient responses to the climate crisis. Working through embroidery and mixed-media textiles, Martin’s practice engages communities in reflective making and shared dialogue. Bridging art, design, and anthropology, his work highlights the social dimensions of fashion, care, and repair, emphasising how craft can nurture connection and creativity in times of environmental and cultural change.

Matteo is an Industrial PhD Candidate in Product Design at Sapienza Università di Roma, where he also completed his MSc and BSc in the field of Industrial Design. His research focuses on User-Product Interaction in Smart Home-Use Medical Devices, with contributions published in international journals and conferences. Bridging academia and industry, he collaborates with the R&D department of a medical device manufacturer in central Italy. Additionally, Matteo played a leadership role in organizing four editions of TEDxSapienzaU, serving as Art Director and Vice-President of the organizing Association, SapienzaU.

Mariia Eshova is a PhD candidate in Service Design for Public Sector at Sapienza University of Rome. Her doctoral research focuses on Digital Twins for public-sector innovation. In parallel, she holds a second Research Fellowship in Circular and Sustainable Made in Italy, Spoke - Digital Advanced Design: technologies, processes, and tools. Before starting her PhD, she received two research scholarships in Interaction Design. Together with her PhD colleagues, she won the SID Research Award 2024 for research ideas. Her additional paper topics include AI for design practice, sport for community building and social inclusion, and embodied and dance-based design methods.

Ekin Yay is a visual communication designer and researcher currently pursuing a Master’s in Design, Multimedia, and Visual Communication at Sapienza University of Rome. Her thesis explores the archival process of a live theatre performance, intersecting with graphic design and data visualization. She holds double BA degrees in Media and Visual Arts and English Language & Comparative Literature from Koç University, Istanbul. Her graphic design work spans print and digital media, with a particular focus on editorial design, typography, and motion, integrating visual communication with literature, theatre, and cultural research.

Miriam Saviano is a PhD candidate in Service Design for the Public Sector at Sapienza University of Rome. Her research, informed by social justice and intersectional feminist perspectives, investigates participatory design practices that move beyond tokenism to ensure the long-term empowerment of vulnerable communities. She is collaborating with the Municipality of Rome to apply and evaluate inclusive participatory approaches with citizens in the peripheries, particularly those experiencing social and economic marginalization, with the goal of developing guidelines for embedding participatory methods within the public administration. Her work aims to support the institutionalization of more equitable, sustainable, and community-centered design processes.

Isaiah DeMarco is an award-winning scholar from the United States. He holds four degrees, including a Master of Arts in Communication from San Jose State University in California, and a Master of Science in Marketing from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. Isaiah is currently working on his PhD in Strategic Leadership at Marywood University. His areas of interest are in digital marketing, organizational design, and interpersonal communication. Isaiah has visited 40 US state sand 8 countries, and his personal hobbies include traveling, hockey, and do-it-yourself projects.

Dr Eujeen Hwang a lecturer in Industrial Design at Auckland University of Technology. Her research focuses on reflective pedagogy, learner agency, and inclusive design education. With a background in both design practice and qualitative research, she is particularly interested in how education can serve as a catalyst for challenging bias and shaping more equitable futures. Her doctoral work examined age-related bias in digital design education, and she continues to explore how structured pedagogical strategies can support students in becoming socially responsive and critically engaged designers.

Golnoush Behmanesh is a designer, researcher, and educator specializing in visual and interactive design, product design, animation, and virtual production. Her work explores the intersection of art, design, and technology to spark positive change, with a current focus on eye-tracking, AI, and cross-cultural interpretation in design. She holds a BA and MA in Fine Art, followed by a fully funded MFA in Graphic Design from Georgia State University. Behmanesh is currently an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Mississippi. She has presented at AIGA DEC, CAA, SECAC, and UCDA,and her work has been exhibited internationally. She also founded Behmanesh Design, an initiative supporting single mothers in Iran through sustainable design.

Abhishek Srivastava is a PhD student and Prime Minister’s Research Fellow (PMRF) at the Department of Design, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, India. He is an architect and industrial designer, graduated from the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi. He has received multiple awards, including the 20 under 35 DesignXDesign award in 2017. With over 8 years of experience, he has worked as a design professional at Infosys, Think Design, and Welava Design, aswell as an educator at SPA Delhi, World University of Design, and UPID Noida. His research interests include design education, Indian knowledge systems, and creativity.

Marina Ricci is a Postdoctoral Researcher at STIIMA-CNR in Bari (Italy), where she actively collaborates with the Design Group of Polytechnic University. In 2024, she earned a Ph.D. in Industry 4.0 with a dissertation on next-generation retail experiences using VR and pseudo-haptics. As a Visiting Ph.D. Student, she conducted research at the Perceptual Intelligent Lab at TU Delft(Netherlands)from 2022 to 2023, exploring novel approaches to integrating perceptual cues into online retail experiences via pseudo-haptics. In 2025, she was awarded the CNR Short-Term Mobility grant to carry out research at the University College London Interaction Centre (UK) to investigate visual metaphors in VR to communicate sound and touch cues. Marina's primary research interests are in Interaction Design, particularly exploring the potential for extending physical user experiences from both perceptual and interactive perspectives.

Dr. Kendrik Yan Hong Lim is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, specializing in Industrial Resilience. His research integrates human-centric design, AI-enabled reasoning, and systems engineering for human-AI-machine collaboration. Dr. Kendrik earned his Ph.D. from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore and his M.Sc. from Chiba University, Japan, and previously served at Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). A board member of the International Society of Transdisciplinary Engineering, he has received multiple awards in research, industry-led competitions, and public service, with interests in engineering design and informatics.

Jennifer Danko (Duby), is an Assistant Professor of Design at MacEwan University whose research bridges human-centered design, healthcare communication, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Her work focuses on creating accessible visual knowledge-translation tools that support youth and families navigating complex medical journeys. Jennifer is the creator of the internationally recognized Meet Your Heart resource, developed with a Canadian Children’s Hospital, and co-leads the research program Bridging Transitions. Her teaching integrates applied research, co-design methods, and community-engaged learning. Jennifer’s work aims to empower patients, caregivers, and interdisciplinary teams through design-driven approaches to communication and health innovation.

Andrea Bandoni is a Brazilian designer and educator with a strong focus on ecology and creativity. She is a Ph.D. student at Lisbon University, investigating Biodesign in the Amazon region. Andrea believes design must add something relevant to our saturated world, being a creative force for environmental and social change. Her design methods are based on transdisciplinary research and hands-on experimentation, always built in dialogue with different perspectives. The respect for living systems and for people’s knowledge is visible in the outcomes of her work. Besides academia, she had projects exhibited and acquired by museums and galleries in Brazil, China, Australia, and Europe.

Dr. Salomón Doncel-Moriano Urbano is Assistant Professor at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo. He holds an International Doctorate in Translation and Interpreting from the University of Granada and is a leading scholar in the global reception and localization of Japanese pop culture. His research bridges media studies and translation, exploring the interplay between text and image in anime, manga, and transmedia storytelling. As the official Spanish-language translator of Sailor Moon, Yu Yu Hakusho, Godzilla, and Ultraman, he combines academic insight with creative practice. He has published widely and presented at major conferences across Europe and Asia. For more about his academic and creative work, visit www.salomondoncel.com

Linh Khuu is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Design degree at LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore. Growing up during the transition to the widespread adoption of the Internet, Linh is deeply curious about human psychology and the cultural development that results from exposure to the digital world. In the age of Artificial Intelligence, her interest lies in how it might transform our socio-cultural landscape. Through her practice in design communication, she hopes to offer a new perspective on this issue.