Dr Jeanne-Louise Moys

Profile

I am an academic, artist and designr, and the Editor-in-Chief for the oldest international design journal, Visible Language.

Previously, I held academic roles at the University of Reading (UK), the Interactive Design Institute (University of Hertfordshire, UK) and Rhodes University (South Africa). I hold a prestigious University Teaching Fellow lifetime award from the University of Reading, where I was also part of the Breaking down Barriers inclusive design team that won a University Collaborative Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning and a Highly Commended CIOB International Innovation & Research Award.

I have acted as an external examiner for the MA and BA programmes at the University of Portsmouth and as an external research examiner for PhDs at Adelaide University, University of Leeds,Swinburne University of Technology and UNSW Sydney, and for an MA research thesis at the University of Johannesburg.

Before becoming editor-in-chief for Visible Language in 2026, I was lead editor for Visible Language’s 2025 special issue on student researchand guest editor for the journal’s 2020 special issue on inclusive design. I also undertake peer review and scholarship activities for a range of design and pedagogic conferences, journals and book publishers.

My academic expertise is complemented by my professional design and media experience working for a range of local and international clients in both the UK and South Africa. I also have experience in arts journalism, with a particular interest in dance.

Responsibilities

• School Director of Postgraduate Research (from September 2022)

Research interests

My research focuses on typography and inclusive, user-centred design across a range of genres and communication contexts.In particular, I explore design for reading and how visual design plays a role in influencing people’s experiences of identity and inclusion and the ease with which they can achieve everyday communication tasks. I have a passion for inclusive design, typography and design pedagogy.

I have undertaken a range of individual and collaborative research and consultancy projects. Recent collaborations at Leeds include “Talking about things”, led by Dr Catherine Stones (School of Design, University of Leeds) and in partnership with Community Links, Bradford and an internally-sppported, exploratory project on children’s dance books with Dr Rosamaria Kostic Cisneros (Centre for Dance Research, Coventry University). Past collaborations at the University of Reading include research projects funded by: the European Institute of Innovation & Technology/Horzon 2020, E-Read COST Action 1404, the National Institute for Health Research, the Office of Parliamentary Council, the Simplification Centre and the University of Reading.

I have supervised and examined recent PhD candidates undertaking work in the following areas:

• Arabic typography for beginner readers
• Design for decision making: the design of information for later life housing options
• Designing italics:approaches to the design of contemporary secondary text typefaces
• Digital and platform independent type systems
• Information Design and Library Science
• Legibility of Chinese-English bilingual traffic sign design
• Reading with early-stage Alzheimer's disease: modifications to book design as a way of supporting preserved literacy skills
• Sharing textual graphic tools early lessons in graphic language through practices in handwriting organisation by teachers and pupils in schools in Recife
• The development of typographic forms for the Kannada and Telugu scripts (1801–1900)
• Visual communication of transportation system: using information design to strengthen the legibility of transit maps
• Visual storytelling in graphic design: The role of design and designer in the visual language of graphic props
• Food waste ninjas and sleeping sheep: Understanding how collaboratively designing vernacular data visualisations in self-trackers can influence consumer food-wasting habitual behaviours
• Leveraging design to foster the adoption of Mhealth applications among old Chinese adults
• Designing inclusive, augmented typography for university students with dyslexia

Co-investigator (Co-I)

• Talking about Things

Qualifications

• UKCGE Recognised Research Supervisor
• SFHEA
• PhD (University of Reading)
• MA (Rhodes University)
• BJourn (Rhodes University)

Professional memberships

• Information Design Association

Student education

I primarily contribute to postgraduate research and the MA Design programme.

Current postgraduate researchers

• Barbara Urrutia-Badilla
• Furui Yang
• Shuo Feng
• Hanaa Felemban