Some of Australia’s leading design minds will join the Queensland College of Art in 2020.

The trio of newly appointed lecturers share a commitment to improving society through design, from creating ecologically-sound music festivals to making Australia’s rail networks more accessible and helping save the Great Barrier Reef.

Collaborative design

Associate Professor Katja Fleischmann brings decades of expertise in graphic design, information design and user experience design (UX).

Before joining the QCA, the Fulbright Scholar was Head of Design and Innovation at James Cook University and Professor of Print Design and Interactive Media at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin.

Her research centres around the role of design in social, public and economic innovation, and one of her current projects looks at improving the water ecology of the Great Barrier Reef through sustainable design.

“For me, it’s about how to better the lives of people through design.”

“I’m so excited to collaborate on projects with my colleagues across Griffith – from business and IT to marketing and the environmental sciences.”

Sustainable design

Dr Tanja Beer is an award-winning designer and creative researcher who has been appointed as a senior lecturer in interior design.

Dr Beer joins the QCA from the University of Melbourne, where she lectured in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning.

She has a background in set and costume design and has worked as a freelance designer with performing arts companies, major festivals and events.

“I have quite a diverse background, and I’m excited about challenging traditional definitions of interior design,” she said.

Dr Beerpioneered the concept of ‘eco-scenography’ — exploring new environmental approaches to performance design and events. Her interest in sustainable design drew her to Griffith University.

“Sustainability is front and centre here… it was one of the major drawcards in coming to Griffith.”

Accessible design

Dr Vincent Moug is joining the QCA’s acclaimed industrial design team.

He was previously a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Mobility Design Lab at Monash University where he led a social impact project around accessibility in public transport systems.

Attracting world-class educators

Queensland College of Art Director Professor Derrick Cherrie said he was pleased to welcome a new group of world-class design educators to the QCA.

“We are delighted to welcome these leading design educators to the QCA,” he said.

“Appointing faculty of this calibre to the QCA will help ensure the program is recognised as the finest in Australia and internationally.”

To learn more about the Design program at the QCA, click here.