Donna is an Associate Professor in Communication Design at Northumbria University. Prior to this she was Head of Communication Design at The Glasgow School of Art and at Dundee University. She is a digital media practitioner and interdisciplinary researcher. In her career she has explored the intersections of games, digital literature and more recently, what constitutes social participation in audio and visual live and extended reality contexts. Donna’s professional and disciplinary background originated in the applied creative industries; Graphic Design, Illustration, Digital Animation and New Media, from which she continues to draw insights on commercial trends and contemporary human behaviour.  Donna’s practice has interrogated non-linearity and online narratives as a form of extended authorship (Front, Borderline). Her recent contribution to the book Live Visuals: History Theory Practice (Routledge) has seen her explore reception and presence in audio visual contexts alongside the relationship of live performance in the contemporary Design sector. Donna’s current research is exploring how XR technologies can be used to foster better social interactions in cultural heritage settings (To Have & To Hold). She regularly offers talks and peer review at conferences, design festivals and externally examines at Masters and Doctoral levels.