Evripides Zantides
Professor, PhD, Cyprus University of Technology
Semiotics and Visual Communication Research Lab founder, Director
Dr. Evripides Zantides is Professor at the Department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts of the Cyprus University of Technology. He studied at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (PhD in Visual Communication), at University of Kent, UK (MA in Graphic Fine Arts-best graduate award with full scholarship), at University of Wolverhampton, UK (BA Graphic Communication) and at Higher Technical Institute, Cyprus (HND Electrical Engineering). He started his academic career in the Department of Design and Multimedia at Intercollege, Cyprus (1997-2007) which then gained University status (2007) and continued working as coordinator of the Graphic Communication Program (2004-2009) at University of Nicosia. He joined Cyprus University of Technology in 2009. His professional activities include the presentation of research papers at a number of international conferences on semiotics, graphic design education, typography and visual communication, and his participation, with distinguished practice work, in refereed Art and Design biennales and other international exhibitions. Actively involved in conference and exhibition committees, he is the delegate for Cyprus in the International Typographic Association (ATypI), as well as a member of the Hellenic Semiotic Society (HSS). He has served in committees of the Cyprus Council for the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications (KY.S.A.T.S.) and has also served as chairperson in evaluation committees of the Council for Educational Evaluation and Accreditation (S.EK.A.P). His research interests are based on semiotics and identity in the process of audio/visualising verbal language using image, text/typography and sound. He is the founder and director at the Semiotics and Visual Communication Lab of the Cyprus University of Technology (www.svclab.com).
Omiros Panayides
Lecturer, Cyprus University of Technology
Semiotics and Visual Communication Research Lab, Director
Omiros Panayides is Lecturer of Graphic Design at the School of Fine and Applied Arts at the Cyprus University of Technology. He studied Graphic and Advertising Design at Frederick Institute of Technology and obtained his MA in Graphic Design at the University of Arts London at Camberwell College of Arts. In September 2009 he represented Cyprus in the Applied Arts category at the 14th Biennale of Young Artist from Europe and the Mediterranean in Skopje. He is part of the founding members of the Cyprus Association of Graphic Designers and Illustrators. His professional practice and academic research pivots around Book Arts, Zines, Typography, Visual Archives and the Preservation of Visual Communication in Cyprus through the Graphic Design of Printed Matter.
Aspasia Papadima
Associate Professor, Cyprus University of Technology
Aspasia Papadima is Associate Professor in the Department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts at Cyprus University of Technology. She works both as a graphic design consultant and a graphic artist. Her work has been awarded in global competitions and shown at a number of international design exhibitions. Her research interests include typographic design, typographic rendering of the Cypriot dialect, visual language and technology, ephemeral design and vernacular typography, and urban graphic language. She is the Founder and Coordinator of the Language and Graphic Communication Research Lab (www.lgcrl.com), as well as a member of the Cyprus Association of Graphic Designers and Illustrators.
Theseas Mouzouropoulos
Special Teaching Staff, Cyprus University of Technology
Theseas graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design in 2003 with a Master's degree in Communication Design. He also holds a BA degree in Graphic Communication from the University of the West of England as well as a diploma in Graphic and Advertising Design from the Frederick Institute of Technology in Cyprus. He taught Graphic and Advertising Design at the Department of Fine & Applied Arts of Frederick Institute of Technology for eight years and since 2003 he is the Creative Director of Cherrycube Design Studios Ltd in Cyprus. He is currently working as a Lecturer at the Graphic & Multimedia Design Department of the Cyprus University of Technology. His professional work has been awarded and recognized in both national and international design awards (EVGE 2011, CIPB 2011, PYGMALION 2011 & 2012). He has participated in several international design exhibitions and biennials and his work has been acknowledged in various publications both locally and internationally.
He has also participated in several international judging committees on various Graphic & Advertising Design areas, he is a member of Information Design Association in London (IDA), member of the Cyprus Creative Club (member of the ADC*E) and member of the Semiotics & Visual Communication Lab of the Cyprus University of Technology.
Angelos Panayides
Special Teaching Staff, Cyprus University of Technology
Angelos graduated the University of the West of England, obtaining a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design and an MA in Interactive Media-Video and Sound Arts. Previously he has studied Graphic and Advertising design at Frederick Institute of Technology on a full scholarship achieving the highest average score in his class. He has worked in the Post-Production for BBDO-Telia & Pavla, advertising agency in Cyprus and he is the founder of Think Positive New Media where he has been Art Director.
Moreover, he worked as full time Special Teaching Staff at the Department of Applied Arts at Frederick Institute of Technology. He is an active member of Semiotics and Visual Communications Lab and a founding member of the Cyprus Semiotics Association. He is also a founding member and the current secretary of Cyprus Graphic Design & Illustration Association and a board member of Cyprus Creative Club (member of the ADC*E).
He has participated in several international design exhibitions and biennials and his work has been acknowledged in various publications both locally and internationally. He has also participated in several local and international judging committees such as the ADC*E (Art Directors Club of Europe) on disciplines of Promotions & New Media and Digital.
Savvas Xinaris
Assistant Professor, Frederick University
Savvas Xinaris is a graphic designer based in Nicosia, Cyprus since 2004. He worked as a graphic designer and he offered consulting services for local and multinational organizations. In his practical work, he frequently uses typography to resolve visual communication problems. He is a founding member and a board member of the Cyprus Association of Graphic Designers and Illustrators (CAGDI). Savvas acquired his Master of Arts degree in Graphic Design from London College Of Communication (LCC), University of the Arts London, United Kingdom in 2006. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic and Advertising Design from Frederick Institute of Technology, Cyprus. He is a faculty member at the Fine and Applied Arts Department, Frederick University, and the Coordinator for the BA Graphic and Advertising Design program. His academic research covers several topics relevant to typography and its dissemination in Cyprus. Particularly, he explores the use and role of posters in Cyprus and he works to amass and archive this material. He authored articles in typographic and graphic design publications. He presented his work in seminars, conferences, and exhibitions. Moreover, he originates graphic design projects, curates and organise exhibitions and seminars.
PhD Students
Andreas Panayi
Andreas Panayi is a PhD Student at the Department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts of the Cyprus University of Technology. He studied MA Graphic Communication Design at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, qualifying for a Postgraduate Scholarship based on Academic Merit. He has previously studied at the Cyprus University of Technology obtaining a Bachelor's Degree of Excellence in Multimedia and Graphic Arts, achieving the highest average grade in his class and the second-highest average grade throughout the University. Besides his studies, Andreas had the chance to work as a graphic designer both in design studios and as a freelancer, while participating in several creative Ιnternational projects and biennials. Furthermore, he has taken part in various speeches, workshops, and contests as a speaker, facilitator, and juror in Cyprus and abroad. His work has been awarded and distinguished in several National and International contests and exhibitions. Part of his professional work has also been published in publications, websites, and articles around the world.
Konstantinos Digkas
Konstantinos Digkas is a Ph.D. candidate in Semiotics and Visual Communication, specializing in city branding, in the Department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts, at Cyprus University of Technology. His former work experience and research interests revolve around digital marketing, city and destination branding, semiotics, and (green) marketing strategies.
International Collaborators
Gregory Paschalidis
Professor, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
His research and teaching are in the field of Cultural and Visual Studies. He has edited collective volumes and published extensively in the areas of his main research interests: cultural and media theory, semiotics and visual communication, cultural policy and cultural politics. Since 2004, he also teaches in the M.A. in Cultural Management of the Greek Open University. He is President of the Hellenic Semiotics Society (2012-) and Editor in Chief of Punctum. International Journal of Semiotics.
Lia Yoka
Professor, Aristotle University Thessaloniki, Greece
Lia Yoka is Professor of art history and theory at the School of Architecture, AUTh and coordinator of the “cultural theories” module at the Interuniversity Postgraduate Programme in Museology, AUTh and University of Western Macedonia. She studied history at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and art history at the Ludwig Maximilian Universitaet in Munichand at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. She is interested in art history and the relationship of semiotics and history.
Evangelos Kourdis
Associate Professor, Aristotle University Thessaloniki, Greece
Evangelos Kourdis is Associate Professor of Translation Semiotics in the Department of French Language & Literature, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He holds a University degree from the Department of French Language and Literature, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and part of his studies were at the Department of Linguistics and Didactics and at the Institute of Experimental Phonetics at the University of Strasbourg.
He has a master’s degree in Sociolinguistics from the Interdisciplinary Program of Postgraduate Studies in Sciences and Technologies of Language and Communication of the Faculty of Philosophy at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and a master’s degree (D.E.A.) in Semiotics from the Department of Sciences of Languages at the University of Rouen. He also holds a PhD in the Sciences and Theories of the Language and Communication of the Faculty of Philosophy at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
He has worked as a Scientific Associate in French Language and in Greek Linguistics at the Institute of the Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki (Greece), at the University of Thessaly (Greece), at the Hellenic Open University (Greece), at the Technological Educational Institute of Patras (Greece), and at the Technological Educational Institute of of Epirus (Greece). He is also teaching in the Program of Postgraduate Studies in Cultural Studies: Semiotic structures and practices at the University of Western Macedonia (Greece).
He gave lectures about Translation Semiotics at the Southeast European Center of Semiotic Studies of the New Bulgarian University of Sofia (Bulgaria), at the University of Galatasaray of Istanbul (Turkey), at the University Ca' Foscari of Venice (Italy), at the Technological University of Cyprus, at the International Semiotic Institute of Imatra (Finland) and at the University of Cyprus.
He has participated in many national, international and world congresses, and has written articles in scientific journals of Semiotics and of Translation. In 2007, he published a book titled Thessalian Dialect. From the social signs to the language ideology. (University of Thessaly Press, Volos, ISBN 978-960-8029-490). He is a member of the Hellenic and International Association for Semiotic Studies, of the Greek Applied Linguistics Association, of the Greek Association of Traductology, and of the International Society of Greek Linguistics.
Dr. Arafat Al Naim
Professor in Graphic Arts & Design, American University in the Emirates, Dubai
Dr. Arafat Al-Naim is a graphic artist, designer, educator, and the moving spirit behind international art and design projects. He holds a BFA, MFA and P.h.D in Graphic Arts and MST in Art Teaching from the National Academy of Arts, Sofia, Bulgaria. He has lectured and has presented research papers at international conferences.
Dr. Al-Naim is a former Dean of Faculty of Arts & Design at ASU, Amman (Jordan), Head of Graphic Design Department at ASU and Zarqa University, Member of ICOGRADA (Education Network), Curator of the International SYMPOSIODESIGN - Amman and Editorial Board Member of the International Design Journal “Design Behaviors” and International Affairs Officer in Jordanian Plastic Artists Association, Member of International Lab of Semiotics and Visual Communication, Cyprus University of Technology, Member of Ranking and Promotion Committee of Specialists, Cyprus University of Technology and UNiC, Cyprus, Member of the Scientific Committee of the 1st International Conference on Semiotics and Visual Communication (ICSVC), Limassol, Cyprus, and the 4th International Conference on Typography and Visual Communication (ICTVC), Nicosia, Cyprus and co – director of the United Designs Biannual, international design exhibition since 2006.
Jeff Leak
MA FHEA, Development Manager, Art and Design University of Wolverhampton
Jeff graduated in 1986 with a first class honours degree in multi-disciplinary design and won the UK final of the Letraset International design competition that same year. After further post-graduate study, he worked for a number of studios before moving into education, eventually running both an NDand HND in Graphic Design at Further Education level.
Jeff went on to set up his own consultancy, boing!, in 1994 with business partner Giles Woodward, working specifically for ‘arts’ clientele. Their work was featured over the years in Creative Review and in numerous design publications.
Jeff was Subject Leader, Graphic Communication at the University of Wolverhampton for thirteen years but now works across the school as International Development Manager. He continues to learn, explore, discoverand practice; having in the last few years completed an MA in Interactive Media. He is currently studying for his PhD; an enquiry into digital projections / installations that predominantly focus on graphic messagesand memes to develop an augmented space.
George Damaskinidis
Teaching assistant, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and University of Western Macedonia
George Damaskinidis holds a Doctorate in Education (The Open University, UK), a Master’s degree in Education (The Open University, UK), an MA in Translation Studies (Birmingham, UK) and a BA (Hons) in Humanities with English Language (The Open University, UK). He is a teaching assistant at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and at the University of Western Macedonia, in Greece. He has co-designed and co-taught language, semiotics and visual literacy courses at a post-graduate and undergraduate level. He also teaches English Military Terminology at the Hellenic Army Command and General Staff College (SDIEP). He has lectured at universities in Greece and abroad around his research interests. He holds the professional Certificate of English Language Teaching for Adults (CELTA) from Cambridge University. He is the author of Joint Military English. A Specialized Course (Athens: Tourikis Publishing) and H Ereunitiki Protasi sti Metaptixiaki kai Didaktoriki Ereuna [The Research Proposal in Master and Doctoral Research] (Thessaloniki: Epikentro). He has published articles in the areas of visual literacy, translation, and semiotics, in peer-reviewed journals, thematic volumes and proceedings of international conferences.
Researchers
Annita Zapiti
Post-Doc Researcher, University of Cyprus
Sonia Andreou
Researcher, PhD
Sonia Andreou is a graduate of the Cyprus University of Technology in the field of Graphic and Multimedia Design. The topic of her B.A. dissertation was the relationship between the representations on Cyprus medieval coinage and the socio-political background affecting their production. She continued her studies at the University of Essex (U.K.), obtaining an M.A. in Art History and Theory. Her research topics included semiotic and visual analysis of photography, with the aid of philosophical and psychological theories. The title of Sonia’s M.A. thesis was ‘‘Abjection, Empathy and Spirituality in the Photographic Work of Joel-Peter Witkin’’.
Art & Design Associates
Yianna Americanou
Filmmaker – digital storytelling and narratives, Lemesos, Cyprus
Yianna Americanou received her MA in Film and Television Production from the University of Bristol, UK in 2000 with a scholarship from the British High Commission and her BA (with High Honors) in Communication Studies with an emphasis on Experimental Filmmaking from the University of Iowa, USA in 1996. She is currently pursuing a PhD on Women’s Cinema in the Middle East at Birkbeck College, University of London with a scholarship from the Department of Film, Media and Cultural Studies. Her academic career begun in 2004 with teaching at Intercollege (Nicosia and Limassol) Film Studies and Introduction to Electronic Media and Introduction to Digital Media. She is a Lecturer of the Applied Arts Department of the School of Architecture, Audio-Visual Communications teaching Film Aesthetics, Directing Commercials and Art Direction at Frederick University and a Visiting Lecturer on Film Production and Scriptwriting for Video Games at the Technological University of Cyprus teaching both the BA courses and MA courses since 2009. Her short films have received International Awards from renowned film festivals such as Oberhausen IFF, Hamburg IFF, Drama IFF etc and she is currently working on her first feature film which has received funding for script development by the Cyprus Cinema Advisory Committee. Her short film After – Death received Distribution from British Shorts and was short listed for the BAFTA Awards. The Film was funded by the British Film Council and is currently in the British Film Institute Catalogue. She has worked on the factual programming of BBC Bristol and BBC Drama and as an editor while living in the UK. Upon her return to Cyprus, she structured the first MEDIA Office in Cyprus and coordinated the program for ten years. She is a Member of the European Directors Union, the Cyprus Directors Guild and European Women’s Audiovisual Network; she has acted as a member of the Cinema Classification Committee (Press and Information Office) and as a member of the Cinema Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Education and Culture.
She is currently Head of the Committee of the Motion International Film Festival, Cyprus. Her area of Research includes Creating Narratives with New Media, Digital Storytelling, Gender and Women filmmakers, Identity-Memory-Trauma, Narrative Techniques for Video Gaming.
Marina Hadjilouca
Socially Engaged Designer, PhD Candidate
Marina is a theatre designer based in Cyprus. She holds a BA (Hons) in Theatre Design for Performance and a MA in Narrative Environments (Central Saint Martins). She is currently working on her PhD research at the Royal College of Art (‘Social Engagement and “Active Co-existence” in Contested Public Spaces, in the South Walled City of Nicosia, Cyprus’).
She is the co-director of Schedia and co-curator of the Socially Engaged Design Conference. As a set and costume designer Marina has collaborated with the Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC), Theatro Lexi, Theatro Dionysos, Open Arts, Marios Mettis Theatre Group, Persona Theatre Group, CYSO. She has also collaborated with the following directors: Aliki Danezi-Knoutsen, Vasilis Myrianthopoulos, Marios Mettis, Athina Kasiou, George Mouaimis, Lea Maleni, Costas Gakis, Egli Spyridaki.
In 2015, Marina was awarded the Prize for Costume Design for the play ‘Romeo and Juliet for 2’ (THOC, 2013) at the Cyprus Theatre Awards.
Despina Hadjilouca
Multi-disciplinary
Despina has a multi-disciplinary background and coordinates design projects in Cyprus and the UK. She is currently based in London where she has co-founded the design collective Eclective. Since 2011 she co-curates Narrative in Practice, a symposium exploring the value of narrative in creative practices. In 2009 she co-founded Schedia, a design collective focusing on spreading the word of socially engaged design in Cyprus. Despina holds a BA (Hons) in Arts and Design and a MA in Narrative Environments from Central Saint Martins.
George Souglides
Creative Director and co-founder of Ioannou+Souglides
George Souglides studied Industrial Design at Kingston University and Communication Design at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. He is a Creative Director and co-founder of Ioannou+Souglides, a marketing strategy and creative agency based in Cyprus.
With a work experience of over 20 years, he has created communication solutions such as campaigns and brand identities for international corporations and organisations such as Barclays Bank, Bank of Cyprus, Balfour Beatty, Eurolife, BAM Nuttal, Cyprus University of Technology and the European Refugee Fund.
He has presented research papers in a number of international conferences on branding and visual communication and he has represented Cyprus at the Design Biennale of Saint-Etienne and the Venice Biennale. His work has been presented in various design exhibitions, in Switzerland, France, United Kingdom, Russia, Greece, and the U.A.E.
Besides his role as a Creative Director, George has taught at the Design Department of the University of Nicosia, The Cyprus University of Technology and the European University where he is currently employed as a special scientist.