Profile
Devika holds an MA in Service Design from the University of Arts, London and a BA (Honours) in Design from Lancaster University. Her experience and interests lie in service design, user research, ethnography, human-centred design and visualisation.
PhD research
Design Activism: An exploration of repertoires and public participation
The PhD research explores the concept of design activism, with an emphasis on participation, intersectionality, repertoires, and everyday resistance. The key motivation is to understand how citizens deploy design thinking, methods and strategies to facilitate participation in activist advocacy and framing of problems. It investigates the significance of creativity, innovation, and cultural meaning-making in the tactics or actions strategised to bring about social change. The inseparability of design from the political is critically examined through an ethnographic study of social innovation projects that focus on placemaking, social transformation and generative design.
PhD supervisors
Dr Sharon Prendeville, from the Institute for Creative Futures and Dr Aidan McGarry, from the Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs.
Awards, grants or scholarships received
Devika has been awarded a Doctoral Training Partnership studentship by Technē, which is through the Arts and Humanities Resource Council (AHRC).