Marina Emmanouil

PhD in Design History (Royal College of Art, UK, 2013); MA in Design History (Royal College of Art, UK, 2004); BA (Hons) in Graphic Design (2.1) (University of Hertfordshire, UK, 2002); Diploma in Classical Ballet and Modern Dance (Greek Ministry of Culture) (1996); Courses in MSc Special Education (Leiden University, NL, 2016)

Dr. Marina Emmanouil is a multi-disciplinary scholar with a background spanning the Performing Arts, Creative Arts and Design, Humanities, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Her expertise encompasses the history, theory and methodology of design, design research and design education with a focus on participatory and co-design approaches. An expat for 24 years in the UK, the US, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Turkey, Dr. Emmanouil held full-time faculty and leadership positions at Ghent University (BE) and Izmir University of Economics (TR), authoring over 50 publications in indexed academic journals and conference proceedings. Supervisor of several master’s and doctoral students; co-founder of the design. Nexus Research Group (‘design education’ pillar) at Ghent University, where she was also the Project Manager of the Erasmus+ KA2 ‘T-CREPE’ project (2019-23). In Turkey, she was a faculty member of the Visual Communication Design department and the Coordinator of the Graduate School for the MDes in Design Studies. Early in her professional career, she co-organized accessibility programs for visually impaired individuals in museums across Greece, the UK, and the US, reflecting her commitment to inclusive design. Currently serving as Associate Professor and the Department Chair for the Graphic Design, Visual Arts and Cinema Studies programs at ACG-Deree. Dr. Emmanouil is interested in leading impactful research and future-proof education initiatives and cultivating a mindset of productive collaborations between disciplines.

Research Projects

• Design Thinking Learning Platform: Project manager for the development of an open-access,web-based platform (cocreationplanet.eu) under Erasmus+ KA2 T-CREPE (2019–2023), supporting remote and blended learning. The platform uses Design Thinking methodology and Serious Games to enhance coaching, knowledge sharing, and entrepreneurial skills.
• Information Design in Health and Social Contexts: Focus on information design as a human-centered, ethical practice, investigating how clear and accessible communication can support decision-making and influence behavior in healthcare, public health, and social services. Currently working in collaboration with the International Institute for Information Design (IIID).
• Sustainability, Emerging Technologies & Student Involvement in Erasmus Research Projects: In collaboration with Dr. Stavroulia, actively engage final-year students in Erasmus+ research projects. Current work focuses on sustainability, virtual reality, and gender equity.
• Voicing Women Designers: Contributor to Women Graphic Designers: Rebalancing the Canon(ed Elizabeth Resnick, Bloomsbury, 2025), with a chapter dedicated to Greek designer Agne Katzouraki and the work of Vouvoula Skoura. Also contributing to Developing Feminist Designers(Resnick), co-authoring feminist curriculum briefs. Invited by Sychrona Themata(2025) to publish on Skoura’s role as a graphic designer, filmmaker, and visual artist.
• InclusiveDesign& Co-Design: Design and implementation of educational programs in museums(UK, Greece, USA) involving blind and visually impaired participants through non-visual communication methods. Emphasis on co-design with marginalized communities to promote inclusive education and equitable design practices.
• Graphic Design Theory & History: PhD research (2012) and publications on post-war Greek graphic design, modernization, and design in the periphery, with a focus on national campaigns, professionalization, and design education. Current publication: “Urban Greeks Visiting Rural Greeks: Designing the Domestic ‘Modern’ Tourist in the ‘Village Guest Houses’ Leaflets by theRoyal National Foundation, 1956–1959” (Special Issue, forthcoming).
• PhD Supervision–Melis Örnekoğlu Selçuk (2025, UGent): Supervision of a practice-based PhD focused on developing a co-design facilitator’s toolkit to help design students transition from expert designers to co-design facilitators through structured collaboration with stakeholders.
• PhD Supervision–Ellen De Vos (2025, UGent): Supervision of doctoral research investigating design as a boundary object in collaborative future scenario building. The project explores how design supports shared visioning and knowledge exchange during the early stages of innovation.