let me introduce myself!

Hello! I am Sophia Ppali. I am a researcher, designer and digital artist from Cyprus.




I am currently a human-computer interaction Ph.D student at the University of Kent, Canterbury. My research explores the design space of remote music performances. Before joining Kent, I graduated from Royal College of Art and Imperial College London with an MA and MSc in Global Innovation Design, conducting design projects specifically on mental health education. I also hold a bachelor's degree in Digital Arts with a year in industry from the university of Kent.

Through my work, I explore how research, design and technology can intersect. I combine in-depth primary research engaging with different stakeholders, and my knowledge in multidisciplinary design has proven to be a catalyst for solving complex problems in a concise and creative way.

When I'm not nerding out about design, you'll probably find me packing my bags and heading off to explore a new place. I've traveled to 37 countries so far, and I'm always on the lookout for new adventures and cultures to immerse myself in. I have also lived, studied and worked in Cyprus, UK, Germany, China and Singapore. These experiences have broadened my perspective and enriched my ability to collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds.

CV | Google Scholar

my background.



Selected work experience


Graduate teaching assistant - Digital Design

University of Kent | September 2019 to present

Research Fellow

University of Arts London | December 2020 to August 2022

VR Unity Developer

The Innovation Consultancy | June 2020 to March 2021

Augmented reality research assistant

Metal, University of Kent, University of Essex | November 2019 to September 2020

Animator and Artist

Kings College London, RADAR CNS project | February 2020 to April 2020

Online Design intern

Nintendo of Europe, Germany | September 2015 to September 2016



Education


PhD Digital Arts

University of Kent | September 2019 to present

MSc Global Innovation Design

Imperial College London | September 2017 to July 2019

MA Global Innovation Design

Royal College of Arts | September 2017 to July 2019

Semester abroad

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore | July 2018 to December 2018

Semester abroad

Tsinghua University Beijing | February 2018 to July 2018

BA (hons) Digital Arts with a year in industry

University of Kent | September 2013 to July 2017



Volunteering


Sales Assistant | Catching lives bookshop for povetry alleviation

Canterbury, UK | November 2016 to August 2017 and September 2022 to March 2023

Regular Volunteer | Institute of Mental Health

Singapore | August 2018 - December 2018

KSCV Gold Plus and Platinum Award | 200 hours of volunteering in the community

Canterbury, Kent UK | March 2017

Awards


Project 1324 Inspire mental wellness challenge winner

Issued by Project 1324, Born this way foundation | June 2018

BBC Ruby award for Original Digital storytelling

BBC | May 2018

School of Engineering and Digital Arts, Academic Excellence Scholarship

University of Kent | Yearly 2013 - 2017

my skills.



Software

UI/ UX design

Adobe XD
Figma

Graphic Design and Illustration

Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Procreate
InDesign
Adobe Fresco

3D, video and animation

Autodesk Maya
Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe After Effects
Substance Painter
Adobe Animate
Adobe Character Animator

Collaboration tools

Miro
Trello
Notion

Game Engines

Unity 3D
Unreal Engine 5

Coding

HTML, CSS
Javascript
C#

Languages

English (fluent)
Greek (native)

Soft Skills

Adaptable
Open minded
Problem solving
Empathetic
Quick learner


Other skills

Workshop facilitation
Co-design
Participatory design methods
Teaching and lesson planning