Dr Elena Papassissa is a Senior Type Design, Typographer, Graphic Designer, Type consultant, scholar and educator based in London. She is particularly interested in promoting the Armenian script culture and heritage and as a type designer, she has specialist expertise in Armenian script. Since 2013 she has been running her own practice: she has been collaborating with international type foundries and type designers, and graphic design studios in London. Notable clients and collaborations include Monotype, Dalton Maag, Google, Tiro Typeworks, Jeffery Keedy, Fraser Muggeridge studio, and Polimekanos. In 2014–2015 she worked as a consultant at the Monotype archives in Salfords.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design and Visual Communication and an MA in Communication and Design for Publishing from the ISIA Urbino, and an MA in Typeface Design from the University of Reading. She was awarded her PhD in Typography and Graphic Communication from the University of Reading in 2020. Her thesis title is: ‘Convention, traditionalism, Latinisation and modernity in Armenian typefaces across type-making technologies from 1512 to 1977’. Her PhD research was funded by (AHRC) Design Star.
She has experience teaching graphic design—theory and practice—in a studio environment (face-to-face and online) at undergraduate level. Since October 2018 she has been working as a Visiting Practitioner and Associate Lecturer at Camberwell College of Arts (UAL), teaching Type Design to first and second year BA students in Graphic Design. Since September 2020 she has been an Associate Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University (OBU), teaching Graphic Design (critical thinking: theory and practice—focusing on sustainability, ethics and social responsibility—type design, and interaction design) to second-year students. From February 2021 to June 2021 she was a Lecturer at the University of West London (UWL), teaching Typography at Level 4, as well as Professional Graphic Design Practice (including branding) at Level 5. Since September 2021 she has been working as a Lecturer in Graphic Design at Oxford Brookes University. She holds the ‘Preparing to Teach’ 2016/2017-core session’s Certificate of Attendance from the University of Reading and she has completed the first stage of the Explore@Brookes programme to obtain her Fellowship of the Higher Education.
Elena is a member of the Association Typographique Internationale (ATypI) and the AGBU Young Professional (YP), a non-profit organisation involved in promoting worldwide the Armenian identity and heritage. In 2018 she was invited to participate in the Armenian Studies Group (ASG) in London. The ASG, scholars and researchers working within the field of Armenian Studies, meet every month to present and discuss papers, projects, etc.