the executive board

Melike Taşcıoğlu Vaughan is a designer, artist and academic with a doctorate in graphic design. Ms Vaughan lives in Eskişehir, Turkey, where she teaches Bachelor, Masters and Doctorate degree courses as a full-time Professor at Anadolu University. Ms Vaughan has published two books, one focusing on book design and the other on environmental graphic design, as well as many articles, papers and book chapters. She is also a book designer, mainly working with international independent publishers focusing on issues of social injustice. She is a board member of the Turkish Graphic Designers Association (GMK).

Ting Xu is the Deputy Secretary-General of the Shenzhen Culture, Creativity & Design Association (SCCDA)—a para-governmental non-profit body commissioned by the Shenzhen municipal government to manage and brand ‘The City of Design’ programme. SCCDA is the focal point for the UNESCO Creative Cities Network programme, maintaining liaison with UNESCO and other creative cities around the world. In this role, Mr Xu is involved in the organisation of the government-sponsored Shenzhen Design Week and the Shenzhen Global Design Award (SDA). In cooperation across creative sectors between Shenzhen and other cities around the world, SCCDA facilitates design education and student exchange programmes. Mr Xu was the Co-Curator of the 2nd and 3rd HK–SZ Design Biennales and Curator of the HK–SZ Creative Furniture Exhibition.

Jonas Liugaila has previously worked as an art director, design lecturer, and strategist. His practices, workshops, presentations, and articles for national and international audiences bring critical thinking and consistently challenge the design status quo. Currently, as a Partner and Development Lead at the research and design agency The Critical, Mr. Liugaila is also an Associate Professor at Vilnius Academy of Arts and serves as a Board Member of the Lithuanian Design Association and Lithuanian Design Council.

Anssi Kähärä is a graphic designer known for his pragmatic design approach, which is characterised by thoughtful typography and a deep understanding of user experience. With a career spanning over 25 years, he has worked with a wide range of clients and brands, creating visually striking work that resonates with diverse audiences. His expertise spans branding, graphic design, and creative direction, where he combines Nordic simplicity with contemporary aesthetics. Anssi is the co-founder and creative director of the design agency Werklig and the current chairperson of Grafia – Association of Visual Communication Designers in Finland.

Qin Du is an Associate Professor and Faculty of Media & Communication Design at Tongji University College of Design & Innovation. He graduated from Central Academy of Fine Arts (Beijing) with a PhD in visual communication design. At Tongji University he combines his research, teaching and practice in visual communication design, typography, editorial design, and branding. From 2008 to 2009, he was a key member of the team from the Central Academy of Fine Arts responsible for the curation and organisation of the Icograda World Design Congress in Beijing which was a huge success and was a milestone in ICoD’s history of exchange with Asian design community.