Alice Twemlow

Dr. Alice Twemlow serves as Lector Design at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague, appointed in 2017. She additionally holds significant academic positions including Head of the Design Curating & Writing Master at Design Academy Eindhoven, Visiting Professor at University of the Arts London, and Senior Research Fellow at Monash University in Melbourne.

Her academic journey includes a PhD from the History of Design program run by the Victoria & Albert Museum and Royal College of Art in London. Prior to relocating to Amsterdam in 2015, she spent 17 years in New York as founding director of the Design Research, Writing & Criticism MA at the School of Visual Arts.

Dr. Twemlow's research critically examines design's complex relationships with time and the environment, with particular focus on the material manifestations and cultural meanings of design when discarded as waste. Her work bridges design history with contemporary environmental concerns, positioning design criticism as essential for understanding material culture and sustainability.

Her major publication 'Sifting the Trash: A History of Design Criticism' (MIT Press, 2017) established her as a leading voice in design criticism. The book traces the evolution of design criticism as a discipline, examining how critical discourse has shaped our understanding of design throughout history.

Professional recognition includes:

• Membership in Alliance Graphique Internationale
• Participation in Environmental Humanities Centre at VU University
• Participation in Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis at University of Amsterdam

She regularly contributes to international design publications and has organized significant research events including the Joint Research Day series at KABK, which explores interdisciplinary approaches to creative practice research. Her recent work examines sensory methodologies including 'Listening as a Research Method' and 'Touching as a Research Method,' reflecting her innovative approach to research methodology in design.