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UCA

Dr Sue Perks

Lecturer MA Graphic Design, UCA Epsom

Academic, School of Fine Art | Photography and Visual Communication

Dr Sue Perks currently leads our MA Graphic Design course and is a Lecturer on Graphic Design: Visual Communication. Sue’s relationship with UCA started nearly 30 years ago. Sue started working with MA Graphic Design at UCA Epsom in 2013.

Prior to this she lectured at UCA Maidstone on visual theory and studio practice. Previously she combined a role of visiting lecturer and external examiner at many universities in the south-east with her design partnership Perks Willis Design.

Sue graduated with a BA (Hons) Graphic Design from De Montfort University. She then completed an MA(RCA) in Graphic Information. More recently she has completed a PhD at University of Reading, entitled The Legacy of the Principles of Isotype.

Sue is an information designer, researcher and educator. She has been a practising designer since 1984, with long-standing contacts with many industry sectors; her particular area of expertise is the design of educational exhibits within museums, projects that involve community participation and the organisation and management of information. Sue’s wide profile lecturing and external examining has run concurrently with her design practice, research, writing and participation in design conferences. She is particularly interested in archival research.

Sue Perks staff profile picture

Research Statement

Sue's research interests surround the legacy of the principles of Isotype, through transformation, graphic argument and pictographic design, building on themes from her doctoral thesis at University of Reading.

 

Research Supervision

Sue has recently begun to supervise at PhD level at UCA Epsom.

Current student: Veerapong Klangpremjit.

Professional Membership, Affiliation and Consultancy

Professional Membership, Affiliation and Consultancy:

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2014).
  • Member of the Information Design Association.

External examination:

  • 2013-2017 MA Graphic Design, Coventry University 
  • 2016-2020 MA Graphic Design University of Westminster 
  • 2010-2015 MA Design Akto/Athens University of Middlesex
  • 2010-2016 BA (Top up) Graphic Design/Fine Art/Ceramics, South Coast College University of Brighton
  • 2010-2016 FDA Communication Design, South Coast College University of Brighton
  • 2004-2008 BA Graphic Design, Croydon College.

Awards, Grants and Commissions:

Promising researcher grant UCA (£500) to develop research on the evolution of graphic explanation  in books. Helped facilitate and develop the Diagram Archive at UCA based around this project.

Gave a talk for the Information Design Association November 2014 based on this research (with Rebekah Taylor, UCA Archives and Special collections). Working on article for submission to Eye magazine based around the project.

Research grant UCA (£5,000) ‘Visualising Value Chains’ (co-written with Mo Tomaney). Papers presented at IIID Vision Plus in Vienna on work in progress. Poster presentation given at IIID Vision plus at Birmingham University in September 2015.

Commissions:

Recent design practice includes:

  • The graphic interpretation of Tudor House Museum in Southampton
  • 17,000 Reasons to Remember’ – a travelling exhibition and accompanying brochure based on the contribution of Polish airmen in WW2 for Aik Saath
  • Exhibitions in the Natural History Museum
  • Corporate rebranding and publication design for the British Academy
  • Design commissions for the BBC, Carluccio’s, English Heritage, the Royal Air Force, British Airways, Boots, London Borough of Merton and the British Red Cross.

Research Outputs

Key outputs on UCARO:

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Find links to all Dr Perks's research outputs and activities available at UCA's online research portal UCARO