MICRO-BIO

• Blondina Elms Pastel is a designer with a special interest in typography. She is currently a 3rd year PhD student in education sciences at Aix-Marseille University in the doctoral school: Cognition, Language, Education, in partnership with the Labor...More

  Blondina Elms Pastel is a designer with a special interest in typography. She is currently a 3rd year PhD student in education sciences at Aix-Marseille University in the doctoral school: Cognition, Language, Education, in partnership with the Laboratory UR 4671 Apprenticeships, Didactics, Evaluation, Training (ADEF). Since October 2018, Blondina occupies the post of Temporary Teaching and Research Associate at the INSPÉ Aix-Marseille University, faculty of Science. Her PhD research focuses on understanding the knowledge building and knowledge-in-action patterns in the activity of graphic design students and how these constructs are impacted by digital tools. Her research has led to the establishment of a framework that defines graphic design activity as a scientific object; this framework may be particularly useful to gain insight into graphic design activity in the educational context. Other current research projects include understanding the potential of robotics in STEM education—to enhance knowledge building for pupils who are educationally disadvantage—using participative research methods. Blondina considers herself a renaissance woman. Her favourite quote come from her father's writings: "Be fair, firm, fearless to family, friend, or foe."

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EXPERIENCE

• Aix-Marseille Univeristé

  • Present

EDUCATION

• Aix-Marseille Université

  • Education Sciences PhD student (in progress)
  • 2017 to Present

  Laboratory EA 4671 ADEF. Doctoral school: Cognition, Language, Education, Aix-Marseille Université. Aix-en-Provence, France. Supervisor: Prof. Marjolaine Chatoney. PhD project: Investigating whether and how CAD influences the construction (modification and evolution) of design knowledge, design skills and creative ability of graphic design students.

• Aix-Marseille Université

  • Master of Humanities & Social Sciences in Education, Teaching and Training Professions - Secondary Education (with distinction)
  • 2016 to 2017

  Aix-Marseille Université (Department of Science & Technology: Applied Arts. École supérieure du professorat et de l’éducation). Aix-en-Provence, France.

• Plantin institute of typography

  • Diploma Expert class Type design (with distinction)
  • 2012 to 2013

  Plantin institute of typography (Expert class type design). Antwerp, Belgium. Work and research included a revival project based on Jacques François Rosart's Grand Canon Romain and a personal project based on the contrast sort of the pointed nib.

• University of Reading

  • Master of Arts in Typeface design
  • 2010 to 2011

  University of Reading (Department of Typography & Graphic Communication). Reading, England. Research focused on children and typography. Practical work focused on Latin, Hebrew, and Kannada letterforms, glyphs, and type design.

• Institut régional d’art visuel de la Martinique

  • Diplôme national d’arts et techniques (DNAT) (summa cum laude)
  • 1996 to 1999

  Institut régional d’art visuel de la Martinique (Option graphic design). Martinique, France.

Interests

• Typeface Design

• Typography

• Information Design

• Design Processes

• Graphic Design Education

Links

• Research