Farhana Ismail is a collaborative design researcher and graphic designer. She is highly experienced in workshop facilitation, user research, and co-design.
Empathy and gentle disruption lie at the centre of Farhana’s practice. She approaches her work with curiosity and an open mind, constantly questioning the status quo and how research is carried out.
Farhana actively grows her knowledge of non-western design practices and principles. She overturns linear approaches to research to find novel outcomes and creates safe and appropriate spaces to ensure that her research is inclusive and diverse.
Farhana has a Bachelor of Design, specialising in communication design. She uses her background in design as a research tool — prototyping her research methods and using visuals as an integral part of her practice.
Farhana is an active volunteer in her community and a member of the An.Other Collective, a creative sisterhood of Muslim artists and designers exploring identity, culture and agency through their work.

EXPERIENCE

Artist in Residence (An.Other Collective)

Next Wave

Jun 2024 - Present

Design Researcher

Apr 2021 - Nov 2024

Paper Giant

HCD Workshop Facilitator

Nov 2021 - Jan 2022

Sir Zelman Cowen Centre

Communication Designer

Emaan

Mar 2017 - May 2021

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Design (Communication Design)

RMIT

Nov 2019

AWARDS

MEDIA

Farhana Ismail is a collaborative design researcher and graphic designer. She is highly experienced in workshop facilitation, user research, and co-design.

Empathy and gentle disruption lie at the centre of Farhana’s practice. She approaches her work with curiosity and an open mind, constantly questioning the status quo and how research is carried out.