Harald Gruendl / Founder & Chairman  

Harald Gruendl was born in 1967. He finished his habilitation in Theory and History of Design at the University of Applied Arts Vienna in 2009 and is the founder of the Institute of Design Research Vienna, which he built up in 2008. At the same time, he works as a designer for the Viennese studio EOOS, where he leads the Basic Research department and is one of the three managing partners. He teaches design theory as well as design practice at several national and international universities and stands for bridging disciplines. Harald published two books to date, “The Death of Fashion. The Passage Rite of Fashion in the Show Window” in 2007, and “The Cooked Kitchen. A Poetical Analysis” in 2008. Mail to Harald  

Christina Naegele / Research Fellow 

Christina Naegele was born in 1976 in Feldkirch, Austria, and joined the IDRV’s team in January 2012. She is a cultural researcher with an emphasis on curatorial and communicational activities at the nexus of visual arts, architecture, and media. She has a master’s degree in Cultural Studies and Aesthetic Practice from the University of Hildesheim, Germany. Christina is currently responsible for conceptualizing and organizing an IDRV exhibition on Sustainable Design, planned for autumn 2012 at Designforum Vienna and funded by ZIT, the technology promotion agency of the City of Vienna. Mail to Christina

Ulrike Haele / Research Fellow 

Currently on maternity leave  

Ulrike Haele was born in 1972. She studied Communication Science and Political Science at the University of Vienna and has a degree in Industrial Design from the University of Applied Arts Vienna. From 2000 to 2006 she was head of communications at the Architekturzentrum Wien, and from 2004 to 2006 lecturer at the FH Wien University of Applied Sciences for “Product- and Service-Design as USP”. Besides, she published articles in numerous renowned magazines in the fields of design and architecture like A10, Architektur & Bauforum, City or Zuschnitt.  

Martina Mara / Associated Researcher

Martina Mara was born in 1981. She studied Journalism and Communication science at the University of Vienna and worked as a print journalist before becoming part of the IDRV’s scholarly staff in 2008. She is a researcher in the fields of social media, technology, and sustainability. Currently, she is working for the Ars Electronica Futurelab in Linz, Austria, and teaching at the University of Art and Design Linz. In addition, she is commencing work on her doctoral dissertation in Media Psychology. Mail to Martina