Hi! I’m Antonella Nonnis, but people call me Ant, a User Experience Design Lecturer and Y2 Lead for the BA UXD students in the Design School at LCC. I hold a (fully funded) PhD in Media and Arts Technology from the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science of Queen Mary University of London.
My research explores how a more inclusive research and design approach to technology for play could benefit marginalised children, such as non-conventionally verbal autistic children. The focus of design is not just on the technology but on the environment created and the experience and opportunities offered, including neurotypical researchers’ attitudes towards and appreciation of neurodiversity.
My interdisciplinary works have been exhibited nationally (London, UK) and internationally (USA, EU). I have a good publications record, and my research was published and presented at high-level academic international conferences such as the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) and journals such as the ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI) and the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies (IJHCS) and other middle-level international conferences such as the Interaction Design and Children (IDC), where the work won the Best Demo Award, and the New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME). I co-authored a workshop exploring design fiction and absurd making for critical NIME design that won the Best Workshop Prize. Finally, I provide peer-reviewed publications submitted to CHI, TACCESS, NIME, TEI, and IDC. In 2021, I received Special Recognition for Outstanding Reviews for CHI 2021 Papers.
I started teaching in HE 7 years ago while doing my PhD at QMUL. I came to LCC in the winter of 2022 where I taught the Interactive Data Visualisation Studio to the Y2 BA UXD students for one winter term. I came back in 2023 to teach Enquiry in Design for User Experience (Y2), the Final Project and the Competition Brief units (Y3) for the whole academic year and ended up staying :). In my previous teaching role as a visiting lecturer at City University, I taught the Inclusive Design module to MSc students and co-taught the Creativity in Design module with the fantastic Dr Alex Taylor and Dr Sarah Heitlinger. I also assisted with lab work and marking for the Understanding User Interactions module with the patient Dr Stephann Makri and the Evaluating Interactive Systems with the amazing Prof Steph Wilson. At Queen Mary University, instead, I was a Lab Demonstrator/Assistant Lecturer for 3 years for Interactive System Design with the fantastic Prof Paul Curzon and Prof Matthew Purver.
In my current and previous teaching roles at LCC, QMUL, and City University, I planned and delivered learning activities for BA and MA/MSc students, focusing on creative, human-centred, critical, ethical, and inclusive approaches to design screen-based, physical, remote, and/or situated experiences. My teaching philosophy centres around fostering a collaborative and inclusive learning environment that encourages students to learn, explore and apply ethical and inclusive human-centred design processes across digital and analogue media.
By doing the PGCert I hope to develop the skills and knowledge needed to create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment where all students can thrive. I aim to foster a space where students feel empowered to be creative, experiment with new ideas, and take risks safely and constructively. Additionally, I want to enhance my teaching practices to not only guide students in their design and research journeys but also to encourage their growth as human beings, independent thinkers, tinkerers and creatives, and to build their critical and analytical skills as well as strengthen their socio-emotional resilience so that they are better equipped to navigate challenges and flourish both academically and personally.