I am a graphic designer working across research-led, concept-driven projects that explore systems of behaviour, performance, and social expectation. My work often uses humour, absurdity, and constructed situations to question how individuals navigate structures of approval and value. I am particularly interested in how design can move beyond static outcomes, operating instead as a tool for critique, participation, and reflection across physical, editorial, and digital formats.
emilie.m.persson@gmail.com emiliempersson.com →
‘The Interview’ – A Play in Six Acts examines how gendered dynamics, bias, and power structures influence interview outcomes. Through six scripted interviews, paired texts and recordings reveal how tone, pacing, and interruptions shape success before the candidate enters room.
'I can be anyone I want to be. Can’t I?', explores imitation and identity through wearable masks made from other people’s faces. By physically adopting another’s appearance, the work questions how far self-transformation can go, and whether individuality exists.
We’re Hiring examines how language in job advertisements shapes who applies before recruitment begins. Laser-engraved onto metal and wood, contrasting adverts and audience participation reveal how subtle linguistic biases influence decision-making, exposing inequality embedded within everyday hiring practices.
US, THEM explores workplace ageism through interviews with eight women aged 50–70. Transformed into a broadsheet newspaper, their experiences of marginalisation and resilience challenge the absence of older female voices in public discourse, encouraging dialogue around age and gender.
