Dina
Benbrahim

public engagements contact about

↓ 

w.i.p.






designer,
scholar,
educator.

Research

Forthcoming book project with Lisa Maione and Alan Caballero LaZare, published with Bikini Books
Reverberations Exhibit at Ford Foundation,
curated by Polymode
BIPOC Design History Course
Contributed a chapter and interview in the book Revealing, Recording, and Reflecting, edited by Huda AbiFarès, Yasmine Taan, Bahia Shehab and Soukeina Hachem
Presented at
Design History Society
Mama-ing,
photo essay
with Kári Björn
Centered, edited by Kaleena Sales
and published by Princeton Architectural Press
Contributed a book chapter “Woven in Oral History: An Incomplete Taxonomy of Amazigh Symbols”
Contributed with a case study on Hello Departures
Founded and directed the experimental program,
Hello Departures
What it Means to Be a Designer Today edited by Liza Stinson and Jarrett Fuller and published by Princeton Architectural Press
Interview “Teaching Design History” by Briar Levit, with Saki Mafundikwa, Ramon Tejada, and Tasheka Arceneaux Sutton
Contributed a case study
“Co-Designing Meaningful Dialogues on Sexual Harassment”
Feminist Designer
edited by A. Place and published
by MIT Press
Contributed with the chapter
“On Design Histories Woven
in Patriarchy”
Our Morocco, edited by
Lucas M. Peters and published
by Journey Beyond Travel
Contributed with the chapter,
“A Biased Typographic Collection of Tangier”
Thinking Through Graphic Design History by Aggie Toppins and published by Bloomsbury
Contributed with a case study
“Seeking Plural Narratives”  


Teaching


Kat W, Visent Animation, 
Color Studies, Process
Vote Poster by Cole Heitmann, GD3
Poetic Journeys, AR animation by Riley McGarry Partridge, Design Center
Grace Kirby, Type Design and Visual Systems
MFA thesis book
Collaborative mural “I Exist in the Future”
designed by Erin Enmark, Type III
Más Libritos by Cole Heitmann, 
Jharif Rochabrun, Riley McGarry Partridge, and Dillon Rakowski, Design Center
Vanessa Davis, Type Design and Animation
Emily Duchene, 
Identity I
Collaborative project, “Kind Project”
with Aimsley McDaniel, Blaise Keasler, Erin Enmark, Haley Tucker, Jaret Sites, Lizzie Cleveland, Stacey Trucks, Melissa Loney, 
and Nick Hobbs, Identity II
Emily Duchene, Identity II
Collaborative research book
“Seeking Plural Narratives”
Design History + Type II
Saša Crkvenjaš, UX/UI, Type I 
Collaborative book project “Visents” in Process & Thinking
Collaborative risographed book in Process & Thinking
Collaborative project with UConn’s Foundation and Design Center
Collaborative branding and AR project with UConn’s Creative Writing and Design Center


List of
Things



Publications
Benbrahim, D. (2024) Teaching As An Outlier in the US-South, in Revealing, Recording, Reflecting: Graphic Women from Southwest Asia and North Africa, eds. Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFares, Yasmine Nachabe Taan, Bahia Shehab, Soukeina Hachem, Khatt Books

Interview (2024), in Revealing, Recording, Reflecting: Graphic Women from Southwest Asia and North Africa, eds. Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFares, Yasmine Nachabe Taan, Bahia Shehab, Soukeina Hachem, Khatt Books

Interview (2024) Teaching Design History, with Saki Mafundikwa, Ramon Tejada and Tasheka Arcenaux-Sutton, edited by Briar Levit, in What It Means to be a Designer Today (2024), AIGA Eye On Design, Princeton Architectural Press.

Benbrahim, D. (2024) Hello Departures in Imperfect Index, eds. Abbie Vickress and Laura Parke, Sold Out Publishing

Benbrahim, D., Slone, R., (2024) Case Study, Arsaga’s Coffee in Working with Design Clients eds. Meaghan Dee and Jessica Mehary, Bloomsbury Publishing.

Benbrahim, D. Maione, L., (2024). Connecting and Collaborating with Students on Graphic Design Histories, Thinking Through Graphic Design History: Challenging the Canon, edited by Aggie Toppins, Bloomsbury Publishing.

Benbrahim, D. (2023). Woven in oral history: an incomplete taxonomy of Amazigh symbols, Centered, edited by Kaleena Sales, Princeton Architectural Press

Benbrahim, D. (2023). On Design Histories Woven in Patriarchy, Feminist Designer, edited by Alison Place, MIT Press.

Benbrahim, D., Gibboney, R., Hairston Doughty, A., McMahn, B.,(2022). Collective dialogues on motherhood for feminist futures, in Lockton, D., Lenzi, S., Hekkert, P., Oak, A., Sádaba, J., Lloyd, P. (eds.), Conference proceedings, DRS2022: Bilbao, 27 June - 3 July, Bilbao, Spain.

Benbrahim, D. Bjorn, K. (2021). Mama-ing (2nd ed., vol. 10). Matera: Visual Ethnography.

Benbrahim, D. (2021). Moroccan Design Stories, with Shape and Soul, Beyond The Bauhaus, AIGA Dec.

Benbrahim, D. (2021). Orientalist Posters on Morocco, a Call for Repair, Design Repository.

Benbrahim, D. (2021). Type specimen Contribution, Type Specimens: A Visual History of Typesetting and Printing written by Dori Griffin

Benbrahim, D. (2021). Double-blind peer reviewed case study, Co-designing Meaningful Dialogues on Sexual Harassment, Temes de Disseny #37

Period glyph contribution to the Periods on Periods project by Rethink Canada, periodsforperiods.com

Benbrahim, D. (2021). Review of Brando Arabic on Typographical’s Annual

Benbrahim, D. (2020). A Biased Typographical Collection of Tangier, Our Morocco, edited by Lucas M. Peters, A Journey Beyond Travel.

Benbrahim, D. (2021). What does a feminist graphic design history in the United States look like? Part 1–4, Alphabettes

Benbrahim, D. (2021). Photograph, Jaes, Type of the Day, Type on Earth

Benbrahim, D. (2015). Illustration, Chaos, Risha Zine 001
Awards, grants, fellowship
2025: SFF $2000 Grant

2023: Type Electives Semi-Bold Scholarship, Display Type Design
2023: AIGA 365 A Year in Design, Social Design

2022: $10000 towards a DEI project, Walmart
2022: Design Writing Fellowship, Writing Space

2021: Feminist Future(s) Design Hackathon
2021: Against the Grain, design history fellowship
2021: A16 Design Award 2021, Student Award
2021: A16 Design Award 2021, Editorial Design
2021: A16 Design Award 2021, DEI Doing the Work

University of Florida
2020: Calvin A. VanderWerd Award for Excellence in teaching
2020: $400 UF Research
2020: $400 College of the Art
2020: $200 School of Art + Art History
2020: $350 Graduate Student Council Grant
2019: Art+AH Director’s Award
2019: Harold Garde Award
2019: UF College of the Arts Outstanding Merit Award
2018: UF College of the Arts Outstanding Merit Award
2018: Phi Kappa Phi member
2018: Grinter Fellowship
2017: Grinter Fellowship

African Cristal Festival 2018
Enti.ma — Flawlessness
Grand Prix Media / Press
Gold Press / Media
Gold NGO / Charity / Cause / Public Interest
Gold NGO / Regional Award

Effie Awards 2017
Enti.ma — Flawlessness
Gold Social Good

London International Awards 2017
Enti.ma — Flawlessness
Silver Social Influencer

The Loeries Awards 2017
Enti.ma — Flawlessness
Silver Media Innovation
Bronze Tactical Use of Magazine
6 shortlists

Cannes Lions 2017
Enti.ma — Flawlessness
Shortlist PR Social Influencer Communication & Amplification

Dubai Lynx Festival 2017
Enti.ma — Flawlessness
Silver PR
7 shortlists

African Cristal Festival 2017
Enti.ma — Flawlessness
Gold Regional viral film / Digital
Gold Regional viral film / Film
Gold social video / Digital
Sapphire media / Media
Sapphire Viral film / Film
Sapphire Viral film / Digital
Sapphire Media / Digital
Sapphire Regional / Media
Emerald best use of social media / Media

African Cristal Festival 2017
Renault Kadjar — Master Your Success
Emerald craft Film

Practicing engaged pedagogy
I see the classroom as a living organism that needs to be inspired and nourished by co-creating, with the students, conditions that promote a constellar and horizontal learning experience. This living lab is a feminist prototype to frame meaningful investigations, mutually learn from each other, and empower all to find a voice as independent leaders, transdisciplinary collaborators, and system thinkers.

first students who changed my life  


Courses Taught
Process, University of Connecticut, Sophomores + Juniors
Graphic Design 4, University of Connecticut, Seniors
Design Center, University of Connecticut, Seniors
Graphic Design 3, University of Connecticut, Seniors
Master’s Thesis Prep, University of Arkansas, Grads
Human-Centered Design, University of Arkansas, Seniors
Graphic Design Histories, University of Arkansas, Sophomores
Identity Systems I+II, University of Arkansas, Juniors–Grads
Typography III, University of Arkansas, Seniors
Typography II, SUNY at Buffalo, Juniors + Seniors
Design for Social Justice, SUNY at Buffalo, Grads + Seniors
Design + Entrepreneurship, SUNY at Buffalo, Juniors + Seniors
Visual Methods, University of Florida, Sophomores
Typography I, University of Florida, Sophomores
Design Studio, University of Florida, Continuing Education

Co-Facilitator of Design History, Hot Topics
With Briar Levit, we co-created and are co-facilitating participatory events that connect the past to the present in order to contribute to a pluralistic and conscious future of design. This experimental space, Design History, Hot Topics, is meant for students, faculty, and anyone curious about design history around the world—it is an invitation to dig deeper in design histories beyond the classroom.

Co-Facilitator of Seeking Plural Narratives
What do we teach? What do we leave out? How are students contributors of knowledge and leaders in society? How might we encourage design students to engage in inquiry-based research practices? What does an inclusive design history look like? In what ways does this research become a public resource for the community? Seeking Plural Narratives is a student experiment led by Lisa Maione and myself, that attempts to answer these questions. Research partners investigate, challenge, create and tell an engaging alternate narrative to the Eurocentric design and typographic cultures.

We discussed the process of this initiative at the AtypI 2020 conference.

Students compiled a book with their research that can be purchased on Lulu. The book received three awards:
A16 Design Award 2021, Student Award
A16 Design Award 2021, Editorial Design
A16 Design Award 2021, DEI Doing the Work




©2025 Dina Benbrahim