Dr. Audrey Bennett

Biography

Audrey Bennett is a graphic design scholar specializing in cross-cultural transdisciplinary design. Her research investigates how images permeate global culture and influence the way individuals think and behave. In her book, 'Engendering Interaction Images,' Bennett illustrates how engaging user interactions with images enhances communicative effectiveness, allowing for better conveyance of meaning across cultures. She argues that users have shifted from passive spectators to active participants in the production, distribution, and consumption of images, a change that raises critical questions about its implications for communication in society. Her work aims to democratize the control of images through a hypothesis she calls 'interactive aesthetics,' which explores the use of technology to facilitate virtual collaboration among designers and lay users. Currently, Bennett conducts international fieldwork examining how interactive aesthetics can drive social change, with significant projects focusing on the prevention of HIV infections in Kenya and Ghana, as well as diversifying STEM education through indigenous art curricula. Her contributions have garnered her several accolades, including the 2015 Andrew W. Mellon Distinguished Scholar award. Bennett is a co-editor of the 'Icograda Design Education Manifesto' and serves on editorial boards for various design journals.

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