Blondina Elms Pastel is a designer with a special interest in typography. She is a PhD candidate in education sciences at Aix-Marseille University in the doctoral school: Cognition, Language, Education, in partnership with the Laboratory UR 4671 Apprenticeships, Didactics, Evaluation, Training (ADEF). In addition, from 2018 until 2020, she occupied the post of Temporary Teaching and Research Associate at the INSPÉ Aix-Marseille University, faculty of Science. Her PhD research focuses on understanding the knowledge building and knowledge-in-action patterns in the activity of graphic design students and how these constructs are impacted by digital tools. Her research has led to the establishment of a framework that defines graphic design activity as a scientific object; this framework may be particularly useful to gain insight into graphic design activity in the educational context.

Other current research projects include understanding the potential of robotics in STEM education—to enhance knowledge building for pupils who are educationally disadvantaged—using participative research methods. Blondina considers herself a renaissance woman. Her favourite quote comes from her father’s writings: “Be fair, firm, fearless to family, friend, or foe.”