Graphic Designer · Educator · Researcher

Amal
Abdalla

Working at the intersection of graphic design, interactive media, and education — with a focus on gamification and technology-driven visual communication.

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Selected Work

Portfolio

Blending Lines — Interactive Experiences with Arab Culture
MFA Thesis · Interactive Installation · 2024

Blending Lines

Balanced — Visual Balance Game
Educational Game · React · 2026 · Coming Soon

Balanced — الاتزان البصري

LEGACY Then Now Next Graphic Design Conference at ECU
Conference Branding · Design System · 2024

LEGACY: Then, Now, Next

Art Game UI/UX Design
Educational App · UI/UX · 2022

Art Game

Trips-Tips Mobile App UX Design
Mobile App · UX Research · 2019

Trips-Tips

Type Classification Book — Romantic vs Modernist
Publication Design · Typography · 2022

Type Classification Book

The Darien Gap VR Educational Game
VR Educational Game · Unity HDRP · 2020

The Darien Gap VR

Escape Typographic Motion in Space
Interactive Installation · Arduino · 2023

Escape: Typographic Motion in Space

Harmony bilingual design manifesto zine
Publication Design · Bilingual Zine · 2023

Harmony

King of Tokyo Rebranding and Mechanism
Board Game Design · Interactive · 2023

King of Tokyo — Rebranding & Mechanism

Under the Ocean — Interactive Kinect Exhibition
Interactive Installation · Unity · Kinect · 2018

Under the Ocean

Art Education Interactive E-book — VIBE
Educational Design · MS Thesis · 2014

Interactive Art Education E-book

The Artist

Amal Abdalla is a graphic designer, educator, and researcher working at the intersection of graphic design, interactive media, and education.

She holds an MFA in Graphic Design from East Carolina University (2024), an MS in Creative Technology from Illinois State University (2020), and an MS in Art Education from Minia University (2014). She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Art Education at Minia University, Egypt.

Her work centers on interactive and educational design — with a particular focus on the gamification of learning and the integration of cultural heritage into contemporary interactive design.

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3 Master's Degrees
8+ Exhibitions
10+ Years Teaching
Amal Abdalla portrait — working beneath a gold Islamic geometric pattern

Artist Statement

As an artist and educator, I use an interdisciplinary approach that blends visual art and digital media with educational experiences. My practice explores the gamification of learning and the integration of cultural heritage — particularly Islamic geometric patterns and traditional Kufic calligraphy — into contemporary interactive design.

I am drawn to the intersection of education and design, especially how interactive technologies can strengthen the relationship between the designer, the design, and the audience. Through immersive physical and digital installations, I bridge cultural heritage with modern design practices to create work that is visually compelling, thoughtful, and accessible.

My future work targets the unique artistic individuality of each person — designs that invite the audience to project their own interests and personalities onto interactive projects, transforming them from passive observers into active participants in the design itself.

Background

Curriculum Vitae

Education

2025–

Ph.D. Researcher, Art Education

Minia University, Egypt

2024

MFA, Graphic Design

East Carolina University, NC

2020

MS, Creative Technology

Illinois State University, IL

2014

MS, Art Education

Minia University, Egypt

Teaching

2019–23

Graduate Teaching Assistant

East Carolina University & Illinois State University

2011–13

Graduate Teaching & Research Assistant

Minia University, Egypt

Selected Exhibitions

2023

Empersand Exhibition — 'Balanced'

East Carolina University, NC

2019

Arabic Calligraphy Workshop

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2018

Interactive Games Using Machine Learning

Transpace, Illinois State University

Honors & Awards

2018–20

Graduate Tuition Waiver

Illinois State University, College of Fine Arts

2014

Top Master's Thesis Award

Minia University, Egypt

Selected Publication

2021

Uncharted Territories

EVA London 2021 Conference (co-author)

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Contact

Interested in collaborating, commissioning work, or discussing educational design projects? I'd love to hear from you.