Tom Bieling

Prof. Dr. Tom Bieling is a Professor of Design Theory at the Offenbach University of Art and Design (HfG). He holds concurrent academic roles including Design Science lecturer at HAWK Hildesheim and has held guest professorships at the University of Trento and GUC Cairo. His research focuses on the socio-political dimensions of design, participatory practices, and critical design theory.

Education and earlier roles include a research assistantship at T-Labs/TU Berlin (2007–2010), leadership of the Social Design research cluster at the Berlin University of the Arts (2010–2019), and academic leadership roles such as Chairman of the Doctoral Committee at HfG. He co-founded the Design Research Network and initiated designforschung.org (2008).

Research interests span critical design, gender studies, and speculative methodologies. Notable projects include 'Resistant Things' (2024), 'Design (&) Activism' (2019), and 'Theories of Design' (2023). His award-winning work explores design's role in societal transformation, with exhibitions worldwide and influential publications like Gender (&) Design (2020).

Awards include the Young Innovator of the Year (Falling Walls consortium). He serves on the BIRD Board of International Research in Design and the Scientific Advisory Board of the Institute Mensch, Ethik und Wissenschaft. His teaching emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration through courses like 'Design und Sprache' (2024/25) and 'Semiotics of the Uncertain' (2022).