Academic Advisory Board for 2025-26

Our Academic Advisory Board

Professor Nijoo Dubey

Chairperson - Academic Advisory Board

It is with great pleasure that we present Prof Nijoo Dubey, a distinguished member of the academic community and a celebrated designer hailing from India. She currently holds a position as a professor in the Universal Design department of NID Bengaluru, where she imparts her extensive knowledge to aspiring designers.

Prof Dubey is a luminary in her field, with a wealth of experience in designing for businesses and the craft industry. She earned her degree in architecture from the esteemed Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology in Bhopal, India, and subsequently pursued a master's degree in furniture and interior design at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, India.

Over the years, Prof Dubey has shouldered a range of academic responsibilities, from curriculum development and student evaluation to admission and interview procedures, networking with businesses, and student counseling. Her passion for postgraduate foundation studies has grown considerably, and she recently presented a paper on the topic at the India Design Council's Designing Design Education for India Conference.

As a faculty member of NID, Prof Dubey has taught a wide range of subjects in different departments, including Furniture and Interior Design, Product Design, and Design for Retail Experience. Among her favorite courses to teach are Design Process, Form Studies, Color and Form, Research Methodology, Experience/Service Design, Color Material Finish, Human Factors, and Design Projects.

Prof Dubey is an accomplished researcher and designer who has worked with the NID-Asian Paints Colour Research Lab, where she was instrumental in setting up the lab and conducting experiments and research. Her work in this field inspired the creation of some of the nation's first color selection catalogs, and she has presented the results of her research at international conferences hosted by the International Color Association and the International Color Vision Society.

As a testament to her expertise, Prof Dubey has chaired the first Design Research symposium in India, “Insight 2015,” and led workshops on experience design, space design, space trends, visual merchandising, and visual design for clients such as Big Bazaar, Kohler, AIG, and KPMG. She has also held numerous positions within NID, from the Library Committee to Placements and Industry Relations, and has headed educational divisions such as Design for Retail Experience and Universal Design.

Above all, Prof Dubey is an artist at heart, with a keen eye for exquisite detail and a natural talent for the fine arts. She is a firm believer that good design has the power to enrich and enhance every moment of life, and she strives to make the world a more beautiful, kind, and interesting place through her work. To learn more about Prof Nijoo Dubey, please visit her LinkedIn profile.

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Our Academic Advisory Board

Professor Filomena Melina Visone

Member - Academic Advisory Board

Professor Filomena Melina Visone, a native of southern Italy, has a profound connection with culture, the natural world, and the intangible aspects of light and shadow. She holds a Master's degree in Architecture from Florence, Italy and is a proficient and certified architect and interior designer with nearly 25 years of professional experience.

During her career, Prof Filomena has worked as an architect primarily designing homes and stores. She has worked with the renowned and award-winning company, Jim Jennings Architecture in San Francisco, and as an interior designer, she has been involved in developing projects in Cancun, Mexico, and various rehabilitation projects in Italy. She has also worked with Prima Design in Florence for high-end Italian fashion labels, including Ferragamo and Versace.

Initially, Prof Filomena's research focused on the languages of architectural design, particularly lighting and retail design. However, her research has since shifted to sustainability and environmentally friendly design, which led her to enrol in specialised post-graduate courses at Florence University (ABITA one year Master Course) and Klimahouse in Florence and Bozen.

Prof Filomena started her academic teaching career as a teaching assistant for Full Professor Marco Bini while still a student, and it has since become her primary profession, allowing her to grow both professionally and personally. To achieve this goal, she completed a two-year postgraduate course offered by the Ministry of Education, University, and Research (MIUR) and now holds a diploma in teaching Architecture and Interior Design.

Prof Filomena has worked with various institutions, including the FDA, State Art Schools, Polimoda, and the University of Florence, providing her with the opportunity to teach and engage with numerous students from various backgrounds and countries.

In conclusion, Prof Filomena Melina Visone is a distinguished scholar and accomplished professional, dedicated to advancing the fields of architecture and interior design.

To learn more about her, you can visit her LinkedIn profile.

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Our Academic Advisory Board

Professor Gregor Strutz

Member - Academic Advisory Board

Professor Gregor Strutz is a visionary leader who is deeply committed to accessibility with his expertise and experience. A leading figure in the field of inclusive design, Prof. Strutz has a remarkable career dedicated to creating accessible and usable experiences for everyone with his extensive knowledge to create inclusive and impactful design solutions.

His journey began with a focus on designing solutions for the visually impaired, earning him the esteemed Design for All Foundation Award for his groundbreaking work on Germany's first inclusively designed art book, 'The Golden Age', in 2013. In 2015, Gregor founded inkl. Design, a platform aimed at deepening competencies in inclusive design, where he continues to drive innovation in the field. His dedication to education led him to lecture at HTW Berlin in Industrial Design, nurturing the next generation of design thinkers since 2015. By educating future design thinkers, he ensures that inclusive design principles are embedded in the next generation of creative professionals.

Currently, he is an educator at the Academy of Arts and Design in Katowice, Poland, and in the Accessible Communication programme at the University of Hildesheim, Germany. However, his influence extends beyond Germany as he has served as a guest faculty member at the National Institute of Design in Bangalore, India, fostering global connections and sharing his insights with diverse student cohorts.

As a National Expert for Accessibility in Germany and a consultant at the European Resource Centre AccessibleEU, he has influenced policies and practices on a regional and international scale. His work has been recognized with prestigious awards such as the IAUD Gold Award and the German Design Award, underscoring his impact on the design community. Additionally, he was also awarded the IAUD Silver Award 2021 for the tactile models at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site.

In addition to completing accessible and inclusive design projects, Gregor advises institutions, museums, and businesses on the design of accessible offerings and shares his expertise through seminars, lectures, and publications.

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Our Academic Advisory Board

Professor Rocío Martín Ruiz-Jarabo

Member - Academic Advisory Board

Professor Rocío Martín Ruiz-Jarabo is well-known as an architect, professor, and consultant in creative programs and spaces. Holding a Chartered Architect status and boasting an impressive academic background spanning prestigious institutions worldwide, including Pontificia Universidad Católica, Chile, and IED Madrid-Milano, Spain, Rocío has played integral roles in both academia and professional practice.

Rocío's professional journey encompasses significant achievements, including her involvement in internationally acclaimed projects such as Expo Dubai 2021 and Expo Shanghai 2010, where she led design coordination, strategy, and communications efforts. Notably, Professor Rocío's contributions have a lasting impact. Her work on projects like the Madrid Rio International Project and the Reintegration of Tajo River in Toledo garnered recognition from prestigious institutions like Harvard University and UNESCO. This highlights her commitment to design that not only looks good but also creates positive social and environmental change.

She has made substantial contributions to the field of architecture and design through her roles as a director and board member for prominent magazines and publications. She has not only served the role of Creative Director at Expo Live Dubai Expo, but has also consulted for private and public firms worldwide.

She is currently working with EAT University, Spain, contributing her expertise as an academic consultant and research collaborator. Her passion for education is evident in her role as a lecturer on Mathematics at the ESADE University Foundation and other educational institutions. She also participates in international conferences across various countries, including the United Kingdom, Hungary, Finland, and the US. Currently, she is based at a special research unit of excellence at EAT University in Spain, where she is actively compiling and developing research projects and papers.

Rocío's multifaceted expertise enriches the academic advisory board's perspective, ensuring that Cindrebay School of Design remains at the forefront of design education and innovation.

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Our Academic Advisory Board

Professor Jasbir Kaur

Member - Academic Advisory Board

Professor Jasbir Kaur is currently Director of Postgraduate Studies in Fashion & Textiles at the University of Birmingham. She has a rich background in academia and industry along with an extensive expertise in fashion and textiles higher education, research, writing, and examining for over two decades. Holding a PhD candidacy at Birmingham City University, Jasbir has been deeply involved in various academic roles, including Deputy Director of Postgraduate Studies at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design and Award Leader for MA Fashion Design and MA Textile and Surface Design. She has directed multiple courses such as MA Fashion Design, MA Textile and Surface Design, and MA Garment Technology, among others.

Jasbir's academic journey includes earning distinctions in her MA Textiles & Fashion and PostGraduate Education and Professional Studies Certificate. Her early career began in commercial textile design, before moving into fashion research, and is now an internationally published author in the area of textiles, and the interrelationship between that and fashion. As a designer, she has been recognised by The Royal Society of Arts, and as an author, my first book was listed as a recommended reader in my subject area in The Times Higher Education Supplement (THE).

Her scholarly contributions are vast, including co-authored books, conference presentations, and publications in esteemed journals. She has served as an external examiner for various universities, presented papers at international conferences, and exhibited her work globally. Jasbir has received accolades such as the Quality Research Grant from the University of Central England and has been invited to judge prestigious events like the Thailand Student Fashion Awards. Her research interests span from cultural transformation through design to contemporary Indian fashion, showcasing her commitment to exploring diverse aspects of the fashion and textiles domain.

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Our Academic Advisory Board

Dr. Prof. Vinod Vidwans

Member - Academic Advisory Board

Dr. Prof. Vinod Vidwans is a multifaceted personality. His knowledge and exposure in various fields - ranging from music to painting to User Experience Design – are passed onto the students of various institutions where he teaches. He has been a Visiting Professor in IIM Ahmedabad, IIT Kanpur, Symbiosis Pune among many other such institutions. He is currently Professor at Flame University, Pune. He also holds the post of Controller of Examinations there. Dr. Prof. Vidwans is a cognitive philosopher, a designer and a portrait painter. He has done his Ph. D in Cognitive Philosophy and Master of Design from Indian Institute of Technology, Powai, Mumbai. His doctoral work postulates a paradigm called `Design Intelligence’ and characterizes creativity from a holistic perspective. He holds a Post-Graduate Degree in Fine Arts from Nagpur University where he topped. He is a recipient of Junior Research Fellowship in Fine Arts from University Grants Commission (UGC), India.

Dr. Prof. Vidwans completed his doctoral degree from IIT – B. His association with NID Ahmedabad saw him holding the positions of Senior Faculty (Senior Designer), Advisor - Design Foundation Programme, Founder-Coordinator & Head - Department of Software and User Interface Design Founder-Coordinator & Head, Department of Information and Digital Design and the Co-Founder Coordinator & Head, Department of New Media Design. He was also Member, Text Book Writing Committee - Graphic Design for Std. XI-XII, NCERT, New Delhi, Selection Committee Member for National Talent Search Examination (NTS) - Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar Division, NCERT, New Delhi and Member, Board of Studies, School of Performing and Visual Arts, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi.

He inherits Vedic and Indic knowledge tradition and is currently engaged in research on various Indic themes. He has designed and developed a creative intelligent expert system for Indian Classical Music taking inspiration from Bharata’s Natyashastra and Sangeet Ratnakara of Sharangadeva. The software generates a Bandish (a musical composition) on its own without any human assistance in a given Raga and renders it in traditional classical Indian style.

Our Academic Advisory Board

Mr. Johnathon Strebly

Member - Academic Advisory Board

Johnathon Strebly is a catalyst for transformational change — a strategic mind with a designer’s heart. With decades of experience in creative leadership, systems thinking, and capacity-building, he helps organizations navigate growth while remaining true to their core values and culture. His approach is rooted in facilitating meaningful conversations, developing strategic plans, and aligning teams around shared visions for positive social impact. Through his work at JVS Consulting Inc., Johnathon partners with organizations to design systems, strengthen governance, enhance communications, and facilitate engagement strategies that drive meaningful, sustainable outcomes. His expertise spans intergovernmental relations, system and service design, not-for-profit boards, advisory committees, and professional practices and ethics — always centred on collaboration, culture-building, and strategic clarity. Previously, Johnathon served as Chief of Staff for the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), where he provided strategic oversight in project management, governance, communications, and Council support, ensuring alignment with the Nation’s values and long-term goals. He has also led transformational initiatives as President of the International Council of Design (ICoD), where he championed the evolving needs of system and service design within the global applied arts community, and as COO of Tomorrow Creative Services, helped organizations shape powerful brands focused on positive impact. A lifelong advocate for creative leadership and ethical practice, Johnathon founded the brand strategy and communications agency The Notice Group in 2000, served as Director of Creative Services for HCMA Architecture + Design, and has held national leadership roles with Design Professionals of Canada (formerly the Graphic Designers of Canada) and the Canadian Association of Professional Image Creators (CAPIC). He is also a founding committee member and co-host of CreativeMornings Vancouver and Interesting Vancouver. Across all his work, Johnathon inspires clarity, connection, and lasting change — helping people and organizations build a better world, one meaningful conversation at a time.