Dr. Yaw Ofosu-Asare
Details
Department: School of Design
Campus: City Campus Australia
yaw.ofosu-asare@rmit.edu.au
ORCID: 0000-0002-4494-7912
About
I am a Ghanaian designer, educator, and researcher based in Australia, whose work spans decolonial design, critical pedagogy, and African futures. I am the author of Decolonising Design in Africa: Towards New Theories, Methods, and Practices (Routledge, 2024) and African Design Futures: Decolonising Minds, Education, Spaces, and Practices (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024). Holding a PhD in Education, I examine how Indigenous knowledge systems, storytelling, and visual communication can function as tools of liberation and transformation. I am a Lecturer in Communication Design at RMIT University, where I work across industry-partnered studios and critical design pedagogy. My broader practice includes collaborations with grassroots organisations, educational institutions, and social change initiatives, bringing together community-based design, speculative practice, and cultural critique. I also contribute to projects in climate justice, disability inclusion, and cultural sustainability. Across this work, I remain committed to equity, memory, and the reimagining of design beyond inherited colonial frames.
Supervisor projects
- Understanding Electric Vehicle (EV) Consumer Behaviour and Usage Practices in Africa
- 26 Feb 2026
Teaching interests
I teach across communication design, design theory, and visual storytelling, with an emphasis on decolonial and inclusive pedagogies. I create learning experiences that encourage critical thinking, cultural awareness, and community engagement, integrating digital and studio-based approaches to support student-led inquiry and design for social change.
Research interests
My research focuses on decolonial design, African philosophy, Indigenous knowledge systems, and critical pedagogy. I explore how storytelling, visual communication, and community-based design practices can reshape educational and design futures across African and global contexts. My work integrates participatory, arts-based, and speculative methodologies to engage with questions of cultural memory, equity, disability justice, and climate resilience.
