DINA BENBRAHIM
USA/Morocco
Assistant Professor of Graphic Design
University of Connecticut
Freelance photographer/videographer
Expertise: Typography / Graphic Design, Multilingual / Multiscript Design and Research, Design Education, Research and Academia, Workshop Development / Teaching, Curriculum Development / Certification, Event Planning and Organization, Event Moderation / Facilitation, Public Speaking / Podcasts / Interviews, Strategic Planning / Business Analysis, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
ATypI Membership: August 2025
ATypI Board experience: None
ATypI Delegate experience: None
Why I love type: You can see the designer’s heart in the smallest things—how they shaped each curve, crafted every stem, carved out the counters, and polished each glyph until it does what it is meant to do beautifully. 🙂
Endorsed by: Tamye Riggs, Nada Abdallah
Candidate statement
Typography is woven into everything I do—from the type books I read to my children, to the workshops I craft for my university students, my research in multiscript design, my poster collection that takes up every wall in the house, and my constant admiration for brilliant type designers. My lived experience as a Moroccan woman in academia in the diaspora has taught me to navigate between worlds and to persist in spaces that weren’t originally designed for voices like mine. I would love to be considered for this board position because I believe passionately in typography’s power to shape how we communicate across cultures and because I’m committed to ensuring that power is shared more equitably.
I believe I bring a unique intersection of academic rigor, community engagement, and global perspective that our field urgently needs. As someone who bridges multiple worlds—designer and scholar, educator and practitioner, North African voice in a predominantly Western discourse—I understand both typography’s rich histories and its imperative to evolve inclusively. What sets me apart is my commitment to expanding typography’s narrative beyond its traditional boundaries. I think we need leadership that understands multiscript design challenges, advocates for underrepresented design histories, and builds bridges between academic research and practical application. I’m committed to helping ATypI lead these conversations.
My desire to serve as board member stems from my deep gratitude for how our type community has shaped my understanding of typography as both craft and cultural expression. Volunteering at ATypI conferences and tech talks has been pure joy—there’s something magical and deeply rewarding about being surrounded by people who share the same love for typography. I hope to channel that same energy toward ensuring that typography’s future reflects the diversity of voices, scripts, and design histories that anchor our discipline within an expansive canon.
I envision ATypI as a catalyst for typography’s evolution into a truly global landscape. This means collaboratively: + Expanding geographic representation with meaningful engagement with design communities worldwide, prioritizing the global South. + Strengthening educational partnerships to build bridges between academic research and professional practice. + Creating a pedagogy track within conferences to diversify our community. + Amplifying underrepresented voices by actively seeking out and supporting designers working with non-Latin scripts. + Fostering intergenerational knowledge transfer by creating mentorship structures that connect established leaders with emerging type researchers and practitioners.
I was genuinely honored when Tamye Riggs suggested I apply for the board, and I believe my diverse background and professional experiences make me ready for this opportunity. Thank you for your consideration.
Professional biography
Dina Benbrahim is a Moroccan designer and scholar who uses an intersectional feminist lens to investigate design for civic action and social justice with minoritized communities to collectively reimagine equitable futures. Her scholarship critically examines the historiography of pan-African and feminist design histories in North Africa, contributing essential discourse to decolonial design theory. Benbrahim’s published contributions include the chapter Woven in Oral History in Centered (edited by Kaleena Sales) and The Political Fabric of Amazigh Rugs in Politics of Global Craft (edited by D Wood), among her extensive body of academic writing that bridges material culture studies with contemporary design praxis. Currently serving as Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Connecticut, Benbrahim directs the Art and Art History Department’s Design Center, where she leads innovative pedagogical initiatives. Her commitment to design education is demonstrated through her founding of Hello Departures and extends through her role as Letterform Archive Docent. She provides strategic guidance as a member of the Lebanese American University’s School of Architecture and Design Advisory Council and champions inclusive practices as DEIA Director for the Connecticut chapter of AIGA.
Personal descriptors
- collaborative, joyful, detail-oriented, warm, strategic
ATypI attendance
ATypI 2025 Copenhagen, ATypI 2022 Tech Talks, ATypI 2021 All Over, ATypI 2021 Tech Talks, ATypI 2015 Sao Paulo
ATypI speaking / teaching
- I co-presented at ATypI 2020 All Over and ATypI 2025 Copenhagen with colleagues.
Other ATypI involvement
I volunteered to moderate several talks over the years (ATypI Conference 2020, ATypI Tech Talks 2021, ATypI Conference 2021, ATypI Tech Talk 2022, ATypI Conference 2025). I am a jury member of ATypI Conferences in Stanford (May 2026) and Sharjah (October 2026).