Author: demetrios@europeandesign.org

With a foundation in visual design, Frederik transitioned into UI and UX, specialising in designing for news media. His work encompasses both content creation and platform design. Currently, he leads a team dedicated to daily news production as well as larger strategic projects.

Beyond his role at DR, Frederik is an educator, lecturer, mentor, and consultant. He is also a member of Rackham (Improving Comics Culture Since 2000), where he co-produces a bi-weekly podcast exploring the world of comics.

Alina Catalina is a seasoned design educator and facilitator with over 14 years of experience in user experience (UX), branding, and digital design. She has played pivotal roles in enhancing digital experiences for major organizations, including ING Bank’s internet banking platform and Vodafone’s youth prepaid services.

As a co-founder of the Design Thinking Society, Alina is dedicated to promoting human-centered design methodologies. She serves as a design thinking facilitator, leading workshops and guiding teams in innovative problem-solving approaches.

In her commitment to nurturing future design talent, Alina teaches courses at The Entrepreneurship Academy, focusing on practical applications of design thinking and UX principles. Her passion for education and mentorship has made her a respected figure in the design community, where she continues to inspire and develop the next generation of designers.

Danielle Townsend is a designer, educator, and strategist committed to advancing the design sector as a centre of excellence while supporting early-career graduates. As the founder of BOUNCE, Danielle has created an event at the intersection of experimentation, process and critical discourse inspiring design professionals and fostering meaningful connections across the creative community. Alongside her work with BOUNCE, she serves as a Board Director at the Institute of Designers in Ireland (IDI) and works as an independent design and education consultant, leading initiatives to enhance professionalism in the sector, elevate academic standards, and bridge the gap between industry and education.

Danielle co-founded The New Now graduate platform with former IDI President Kim Mackenzie-Doyle. This pioneering talent directory connects early-career designers with employers, providing crucial support as they launch their professional journeys. With a background in practice and education, she served as Director of Programmes and Head of Department in higher education, and has developed and taught on design Masters and Degree programmes across Ireland, serving as external examiner, and contributing to numerous validation panels, shaping the future of design education.

An advocate for design excellence, Danielle is actively involved in assessing a range of prestigious awards, including the ISTD Student Awards, IDI Graduate Design Awards, 100 Archive, Irish Print Awards, Universal Design Awards for the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design. Her passion for advancing typographic standards is reflected in her role as a member and assessor for the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD) and as a panel member for the 100 Archive (2022–2024).

Danielle’s work extends to the government forum for the Commercial Creative Sector under the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) and Creative Ireland, where she is leading the development of programmes that address research, professional accreditation, and graduate opportunities. 

Sasha Tregub is a designer, educator, publisher, and entrepreneur.

As a designer and art director, he had worked on various projects. He has created a visual identity for the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and co-created an alternative logo of Kyiv, which is often used today.

He is a founder of the creative & tech school “Projector”, that is focused on education on ui/ux, graphic design, illustration, CG, animation, marketing, and development. The school works in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, and gathers design communities in Prague and London.

As a teacher, he runs and curates a 1-year Visual Communications course.
As a school leader, he organizes multiple design conferences — “Offf Kyiv”, “Formacia”, “Krupa” (the biggest interactive design conference in Eastern Europe).

Since 2015 he is the publisher of “Telegraf Design” magazine that observes Ukrainian and global design.

Sara Caldas is a Portuguese product designer based in Barcelona (Spain). During her training, she came into contact with different areas of visual communication, such as branding, digital design and editorial design. 

Sara started her career as a UI Designer in a multinational technology consultancy, designing digital platforms for clients in the banking, insurance and public administration sectors. She has developed her career in the digital product area in several startups and is currently a Staff Product Designer at Coverflex.

She has published two books on design theory: ‘Design, Create, Thrill: The Power of Graphic Design to Spark Emotions’ (Hoaki Books, 2019) and ‘Palette Perfect for Graphic Designers and Illustrators’ (Hoaki Books, 2021).

Goce Mitevski is a designer and engineer from Skopje, North Macedonia with over 18 years of experience in the industry. Goce bridges the gap between visual design and software development by bringing deep understanding and expertise in building state-of-the-art products. He is passionate about User Experience (UX) design, User Interface (UI) design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), the Open Web Platform, Software Development, Illustration, Animation and Minimalism.

For 15 years now, Goce has been the Executive Editor of Contest Watchers, a go-to-place for creative awards, challenges and competitions from all parts of the world.