My design research and practice explore place identity, three-dimensional typography and design pedagogy. My work involves collaboration with cultural organizations, arts institutions and publishers. I currently serve as Dean of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts in Qatar. Previously, I was a Professor and Chair of Graphic Design at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), where I served as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the UIC College of Architecture, Design and the Arts (2014–2019) and as Acting Director of the UIC School of Design (2016–2017).
From 2004 to 2014, I taught design at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates; while in this role, my work focused on examining branding campaigns for Dubai’s architectural developments.
Born in Bosnia-Herzegovina, I immigrated to Chicago in the 1990s, where I completed my design education and began a career in editorial design and independent publishing. I hold a BFA in graphic design from UIC and an MFA in visual communication from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
My work, writing, and teaching output have been featured in numerous academic and professional publications, conferences, and exhibitions including Design Issues, Visual Communication, Print, Graphis, Wallpaper, ICOGRADA World Design Congress, AIGA Design Educators Conference, TypeCon, Society of Typographic Arts, and Salone del Mobile in Milan. My work is included in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
I was on the AIGA Chicago Board of Directors, serving as Vice President and Co-Chair of Education, 2015–2018.