Dr Myra Thiessen

Dr Myra Thiessen

Dr Myra Thiessen

Senior Lecturer
Program Coordinator Communication Design

Department of Design


Monash University Research Portal

Graduate research supervisor

Myra is the Program Coordinator of Communication Design at Monash Art, Design and Architecture. She has rounded experience as a design practitioner, educator, and researcher, with a particular interest in the social impact of design. Her research is focused on cultures of reading and learning, which includes an exploration of how people access and use information in social environments and the role of criticism in design education. Her typography research is driven by the impact of motivation, context, and environment on reading and cognition and how efficiently the brain can process typographic information.

Recent publications include the co-edited book, The Routledge Companion to Criticality in Art, Architecture, and Design, and the co-authored chapter therein, ‘But, it won an award: a look at communication design “excellence”’; and the co-authored journal articles, ‘Brainy type: a look at how the brain processes information’ (Visible Language) and ‘Investigating letter recognition in the brain by varying typeface: an even-related potential study’ (Brain and Cognition) as part of an ongoing multidisciplinary project across typography and cognitive neuroscience.

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Monash University Design alumni, students and staff recognised as finalists in the 2025 Victorian Premier’s Design Awards

Monash Art, Design and Architecture (MADA) is celebrating an outstanding sweep of finalist recognitions in the 2025 Victorian Premier’s Design Awards, with students, alumni and academic leaders honoured across multiple categories. Their projects, which span healthcare, education, public health, ageing, disability support and wellness, demonstrate the breadth of design innovation emerging from Monash and its deep commitment to socially responsible, human-centred practice.

Monash Design research teams win two Good Design Awards for groundbreaking health co-design projects

Monash University Design research teams have been recognised with two prestigious 2025 Australian Good Design Awards in the Social Impact category, celebrating their contributions to transforming global public health and frontline healthcare innovation.

Research