About

Tactile Graphic Designer

I am a designer specialized in tactile graphic design. My career spans almost thirty years in which I have developed a wide range of design skills and expertise. By combining my professional experience as a designer with firsthand knowledge of visual disabilities and braille, I am in the unique position to create inclusive and accessible designs. In 2014 I set up BrailleDots as a platform to promote the use of braille by researching and initiating tactile design projects, either independently or in collaboration with others.

What are your ambitions?

‘I have a file full of ideas for future projects. High on my list would be the design and production of affordable tactile books. I’d also like to further explore and work on multi-sensory design solutions, contributing to the development of a more inclusive approach to design in general. Hopefully one day this will be the norm.’

How do you develop yourself as a designer?

‘I regularly attend expert meetings for designers, visit paper factories, printers and bookbinders, take part in workshops and attend art and design exhibitions. Over the years I have developed a broad network (National and International) within the world of visual disabilities. I research and read relevant studies and take part in symposia and conferences.’

So what’s the story behind BrailleDots?

‘In a nut shell: a response to the lack of inclusive design for printed media, in particular the lack of quality tactile designs with braille. I felt a responsibility to change this, to make a positive difference. As designers and parents to a blind daughter, if we don’t care about making visual communication more accessible then who will?’

What are you passionate about?

‘My passion and affinity lies with tactile, ‘touchable’ design. I am particularly interested researching all kinds of materials and exploring the tactile possibilities of traditional graphic techniques such as embossing, thermography, screen printing and modern techniques such as elevated printing (2.5D), 3D and laser. I believe that designing is an innovative and creative process, seeking a good balance between aesthetics and functionality, developing designs through ‘doing and testing.’

Collaborations

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I welcome opportunities for multidisciplinary collaborations. Should you have any comments or questions then I look forward to hearing from you.