Role
Maëlle Daub-Laurent is a Lecturer in Visual Communication at Nottingham School of Art & Design.She is a lecturer on the FdA Graphics and Digital Design course, a practice-based foundation degree designed to help students develop their creative voice and build core skills in graphic design.
Through a combination of practical projects, critical reflection, and contextual research, the course supports students in gaining the confidence, knowledge, and experience needed to progress into the creative industries or further study.
In her role, Maelle delivers lectures and workshops and supports students in developing their project work. By embedding professional practice and contextual research into her teaching, she encourages students to think critically, communicate visually, and develop as adaptable, socially engaged designers.
Career overview
Maelle has held various teaching and academic support roles across further and higher education, where she has developed a strong focus on student-centred learning and creative development.
Her career has included teaching graphic design, illustration, and contextual studies, as well as mentoring students through project-based learning and portfolio development. Prior to her current role, Maelle contributed to curriculum design and collaborative projects that bridged industry and education, helping students build confidence and professional awareness.
Research areas
Maelle’s research explored how people in 18th-century Alsace communicated with power structures to mitigate the impact of natural risks. She later brought this analytical foundation together with her passion for storytelling and visual communication, focusing on engaging children with the past and with archaeology.
Her work as a freelance illustrator and educator reflects this interdisciplinary approach, using drawing and mixed media to spark imagination, communicate complex ideas, and create inclusive narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.
Her current research explores the role of the human hand in creative practice, with a particular focus on embodied cognition and its significance in illustration and design. She is especially interested in how emerging technologies, including AI, challenge tactile forms of making and reshape our understanding of creativity.
Course(s) I teach on
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Undergraduate | Full-time / SandwichCOURSE
Graphic Design - BA (Hons)
https://www.ntu.ac.uk/course/art-and-design/ug/ba-hons-graphic-design
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Foundation degree / Undergraduate | Full-timehttps://www.ntu.ac.uk/course/art-and-design/ug/fda-graphics-and-digital-design
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Undergraduate | Full-time / SandwichCOURSE
Illustration - BA (Hons)
https://www.ntu.ac.uk/course/art-and-design/ug/ba-hons-illustration