Paulina Malowaniec

I am a design professional with a background in Cultural Studies and Illustration. I am currently completing my Master's degree in Communication Design at Northumbria University, and working as an academic research assistant and designer at Northumbria's School of Design. I am passionate about merging new technologies with traditional design media to create impactful and user-centred solutions.

During my time as a Design and Research Intern at Northumbria University, I had the opportunity to work on diverse projects, including designing program identities, coordinating the DORS#6 research conference, and contributing to the Design Feminism exhibition. Additionally, I served as a live illustrator for the Design Council during the Design for Planet Change 2022 event. As a part of my coursework, I had an opportunity to work with two live clients - Kids Kabin and Social Enterprises Newcastle. These experiences have honed my ability to work collaboratively within teams and allowed me to showcase my skills as a supportive leader.

Running my own small business, I gained valuable insights into the world of product design, marketing, and sales. Designing and crafting unique products, I successfully sold them both online and at markets, allowing me to refine my entrepreneurial skills.

As a designer, my main areas of interest lie in publishing and user-centred design, as well as leveraging design for social good. My strong background in illustration enables me to take a hands-on approach and create engaging design assets from scratch. I thrive on challenges and approach each project with creativity, focus, and a commitment to delivering high-quality results.

Proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud, particularly Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, I am adept at producing visually compelling designs. I am also familiar with software such as Blender, OpenToonz and Figma, and continuously adapt my toolkit to suit the specific needs of each project. Additionally, I enjoy working with print, watercolors, and mixed media, embracing a versatile approach to my design practice.

Academic research assistant and Designer

NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY 

As a continuation of the project ‘Crafting infrastructures of inclusion impact’, I completed a charity toolkit project and designed a card game which purpose is to facilitate conversations and would be included as a part of the toolkit.  

Designer, events coordinator and reserach assstant for DORS#6 During the 6th International Symposium of the Death Online (2023)

NORTHUMBRIA UNVERSITY 

 my responsibility was to create an identity along with the programme and a book where we displayed abstracts of various papers, t-shirts, bookmarks, and name cards. I was also tasked with preparing large-scale prints, arranging exhibition space and coordinating the event. 

Textile and Interactive design Intern

NORHUMBRIA UNIVRSITY 

 Whilst working on this project I paricipated in a co-design process, during which I developed a brand identity and design toolkit for charities and explored that method of design. The project is a collaboration between the university and the charity Changing Lives. 

Research and design Intern 

NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY 

During this intership I worked on researching Life Story Books and relationships between adoptive children and their identity. I developed a series of illustrations and layout concepts that could improve the process of book creation, which would communicate children’s stories in a more accurate and inclusive way. 

Sprint illustrator Design for planet

DESIGN COUNCIL

 As a sprint illustrator my role was to create live illustrations of the discussion panel during the Design for Planet 2022. I sketched and helped facilitate conversations during the sprint, trying to capture intentions and ideas generated by panelists, and later on refined them using Adobe Illustrator. 

MA Communication Design

2022-2023, NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY 

The course features a multi-disciplinary approach to expose various areas of communication design. This full-time programme has a focus on issue-based design research and contemporary design practice. 

BA Hons Illustration

2018-2021, NEWCASTLE COLLEGE UNIVERISTY GROUP

 The aim of this programme is to develop essential skills and attributes which are crucial to the area of narrative and commercial contemporary illustration, based on the needs of local and national industry. 

BA Cultural Studies

2014-2016, UNIVESITY OF WROCLAW

 Cultural studies is a field of theoretically, politically, and empirically engaged cultural analysis. Cultural studies investigate how cultural practices relate to wider systems of power associated with or operating through social phenomena.