Thomai is a multidisciplinary researcher currently pursuing a PhD in the intersection of systems thinking, storytelling, and digital decarbonisation. After earning a Master of Architecture (M.Arch) from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, she worked on various architectural projects across various scales, from interior design to urban planning, in offices in France, Greece, and the Netherlands.
After a few years in practice, she shifted her focus toward design thinking and its implications in the digital domain. This transition was marked by undertaking a Master of Digital Design (MSc) from Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. During her studies, she developed a special interest in human-computer interaction (HCI) specifically in the way that digital technologies, society, and the environment come together.
Now, as a PhD candidate, she is holding a Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship Award, and she is part of the Digital Decarb Design Group. The purpose of the group is to assess the environmental cost of digitalisation, through various interventions across different levels of the digital ecosystem. The group is supporting the vision of the pioneering Digital Decarbonisation research cluster to meet Net Zero by 2050, by promoting sustainable digital practices.
Thesis title: Systems storytelling of digital decarbonisation: What role do stories play, and which need to be told, for change across the digital ecosystem?
This research aims to investigate through an interdisciplinary lens, the practices and the challenges surrounding digital decarbonisation. Just as society becomes increasingly reliant on digital technologies in all aspects of life, it is crucial to comprehend the dual role of digitalisation: it can serve as a powerful tool for decarbonisation by providing virtual alternatives to high-carbon activities, yet it is also a growing source of carbon emissions.
By employing system mapping and storytelling techniques, this research set out to shed light on the complex and interconnected relationships within digital decarbonisation. These approaches will help identify the key challenges and lead the way in innovative adaptive solutions.
Supervisory team: Professor Gyuchan Thomas Jun, Professor Tom Jackson, Professor Graham Hitchen and Professor Michael Wilson