Professor Ramia Mazé

Biography

Ramia Mazé is Professor in Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability at London College of Communication, University of the Arts London (UAL). At UAL, she is affiliated with the Service Futures Lab. In 2016-2024, she was an editor of the leading scholarly journal Design Issues. This webpage presents selected recent work, complete profile is at her Portfolio site.

Currently, Ramia’s research focuses on methods and roles of design in policy, sustainable development and just climate transitions. Projects include:
• Sustainable Transitions through Democratic Design doctoral network
• Design|Policy UKRI/AHRC Research Network
• UAL Climate Systems Mapping pilot research project

Over 20 years, her research has spanned multiple disciplines but centres on design that is participatory, critical and politically-engaged. For example, she has researched participatory design and design for social innovation in terms of the political and power aspects of practice in particular public contexts. Pursuing these topics, she has led, published, and exhibited widely through a variety of interdisciplinary and international research projects and cultural initiatives. Methodologically, she specializes in practice-based research as well as critical and feminist epistemologies. Her research includes studies of design education and design research (doctoral) education. She has collaborated with scholars and practitioners in policy-making, sustainable development, and futures studies.

Notable recent publications:
• Wallace, N., Mazé, R., Williams, D., and Landin, D. (2024) Universities Undergoing Climate Transition: Developing MLP tools from a context-specific and critical standpoint, in Proceedings of the Design Research Society Conference DRS (Boston, 23–28 Jun).
• Hellström Reimer, M., and R. Mazé. (2023) ‘Stories from Third Space — A case and considerations of design research education from a Swedish vantage point,’ Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 1-23.
• Mazé, R. (2021) ‘Design Education Futures: Reflections on feminist modes and politics’ in C. Mareis and N. Paim (eds) Design Struggles, 3-23. Amsterdam: Swiss Design Network / Valiz.
• Mazé, R. (2021) ‘Design (Govern)mentalities: Implications of design and/as governance in Cape Town,’ in M. Erlhoff and M. Rezai (eds) Design and Democracy: Activist thoughts and examples for political empowerment, 13-27. Basel, CH: Birkhäuser.
>> Selected publications are available in this webpage under ’Research Outputs’
>> A more complete list is available at the ORCHID and Portfolio sites

Prior to 2020, she was a Professor at Aalto University in Finland where, among other roles, she was Head of Education in the Department of Design, and she led the master’s course ’Design for Government’ addressing design briefs from Finnish ministries and public authorities. Prior to 2015, she was a teacher and researcher at Konstfack College of Arts, Crafts, and Design and at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and she was part of the leadership team of the national doctoral school Designfakulteten/D!. In 2001-2015, she had a variety of research and leadership roles at the Interactive Institute in Sweden.
>> See details at LinkedIn or request a CV

Ramia is highly active in developing research career pathways and research education in design. At UAL, for example, she has been part of building up training for Early Career Researchers at college and university levels. At UAL and Aalto, she has contributed to committees charged with developing university academic promotion and tenure criteria. She has particular expertise on the navigation of ’unconventional’ career paths, including gender aspects.

Doctoral supervision is important to Ramia – she does not at present have the capacity to take on further supervisions. She is currently supervising 9 doctoral candidates and has previously supervised 7 to completion.
>> See names and topics at this webpage under ’Teaching and Supervision’