Institute of Art Design + Technology Dún Laoghaire
Ireland’s campus for the Creative Industries

Cillian Carroll 

BA [Hons] Visual Communication Design

Hey there! I’m Cillian; I am a graphic designer who enjoys playful image-making, developing identities and creating emotive design with a point of view. Something that I really enjoy is using motion & 3D design to bring my work to life and to add an extra layer of spark. I love to research my projects through and through to find innovative and future-thinking ways to design for change and good; for example, in 2021, I was shortlisted for the RSA Awards for my community and eco-based initiative called the Sunday Forage.

Project Description

With the rise of concerns over pollution in industries such as the fashion industry, furniture industry and product design a new material that is versatile, sustainable and biodegradable with no catch is needed. In order to survive on this planet, we will need to transition to a circular economy rather than the current linear one. This project aims to look into a circular world whereby the extraordinary characteristics of fungi are utilised.

Hyphae aims to utilise the dynamic power of nature to produce materials that biodegrade and are made using minimal resources. Hyphae is a near-future speculative company that sells raw materials made from mycelium (mushrooms) such as textiles, construction materials and alternative 3D printing raw materials. Hyphae acts as more than just a brand of materials but as a community for those making beautiful things from the material to share ideas and creations to help reinforce the greatness of mycelium to new makers.


NGF’s Irish Queer Periodicals: The Formation of a Community Identity and The Subversion of Irish Hegemony.

My thesis examined the use and significance of queer periodicals (magazines) produced by the National Gay Federation in Ireland during the late 20th century. A thorough analysis of these periodicals sought to understand the methods of these publications in constructing a community identity, their purpose in creating social systems and dynamics within the underground queer community.

Additionally, this thesis argued that queer people subverted the social structure and religious social teachings as seen throughout Irish culture as a way of self-accepting and affirming their own queer identity in a repressive and conservative Ireland. Additionally, my thesis demonstrated that the publications generated necessary counter-narratives to social and cultural issues in Ireland such as the AIDS crisis, sexuality and the repressive nature of the Catholic Church.