Dr Dave Wood is the Programme Lead for the BA (Hons) Digital and Graphic Design course.
- Overview
- Research Interests
- Research Publications
- Teaching & Learning
My background as an experienced educator in visual communication and design began commercially as a freelance illustrator (1991-2001). I worked mostly for editorial and publishing companies on a range of work from lifestyle illustration to corporate work. During this time, I co-ran Network 3, an illustrators' network, and then I ran my own publishing company Non-Norm Ltd. before returning to HE as a mature student for a career change (1999-01).
I worked as a freelance interaction/graphic designer (2000-02) and redesigned the Royal Schools for the Deaf Manchester website as a consultant. As a design educator I have run design programmes and taught design at a number of institutions, including an Indonesian Dual Degree in Jakarta. Most recently, I was BDes(Hons) Graphic Design Programme Director at DJCAD, University of Dundee. During my tenure my team and I future-proofed that design degree for the next ten years and strengthened its connections with the design industry at Scottish, UK and international levels. At QMU I have written the BA (Hons) Digital and Graphic Design programme to open up new career opportunities in design for the next generation of 21st century designers.
Affiliations (including memberships) to other organisations:
Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy
My main design research area falls under the umbrella term of a Semiotic Rosetta Stone, in which I am interested in the application of pragmatic semiotic theory into design and illustration practice. Semiotic sign-action (Semiosis) is a semiotic theory distinct from Saussure's/Barthes' Semiology and was written by Charles Sanders Peirce who was a key founder of Pragmatism, an action-based philosophy.
I have presented at international design conferences and published academic papers and book chapters focusing on applying Semiosis into both teaching and the commercial practice of illustration and design. My latest design book Semiotics for Designers and Illustrators will be published by Bloomsbury Visual Arts in Spring 2026. I have run the Semiosis 101 YouTube channel since 2022 where I explain aspects of Peirce's semiotic theory in 10 minute episodes to help illustrators and designers to enhance how they visually communicate.
Active Research Interests:
- Pragmatic semiotics
- Semiosis
- Visual Communication
- Semiotic Sign-action
- Pragmatism
- Phenomenology
- Audience
- Human-centred Design
- Theory Application
- Creative Practice
Research Methods
- Semiotic Sign-Action
- Qualitative Personas
- Semi-structured Interview
- Hermeneutic Phenomenology
- Abductive Reasoning
- Material Engagement Theory
- Qualitative Mixed Methods
- Designing for Dasein
- Case Studies
My main area of teaching is in visual communication, graphic design and pragmatic semiotics.
