Nicolas P Maffei

Dr. Nicolas P. Maffei is a Senior Lecturer at Norwich University of the Arts, specializing in graphic design history, modernism, and American design. His research explores topics like 1930s streamlining, post-war steel industry branding, and Tex-Mex cultural design. He holds a PhD focusing on industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes. Currently, he investigates the intersection of digital technology and traditional graphic design forms, including a planned textbook on the subject.

Research Interests:

• Graphic design historiography
• Material culture analysis
• Cultural hybridity in design
• Food packaging aesthetics
• 20th century industrial design

Professional Activities:

• Member of Created and Contested Territories research group
• Editorial Board Member of International Journal of Food Design
• Peer Reviewer for Journal of Design History
• Former External Examiner for Design Theory programs

Grants & Fellowships:

• Dorot Fellowship for Norman Bel Geddes archive research

Teaching Roles:

• BSc (Hons) User Experience Design
• BA (Hons) Graphic Design
• BA (Hons) Graphic Communication
• BA (Hons) Design for Publishing