Alex Perlin is a graphic designer, illustrator and educator, who holds an MDes in Interdisciplinary Art, Media and Design (2021), a BA in Studio Art from University of Guelph (2011), and a BDes in Fashion Communication from Ryerson University (2010). Specializing in fashion illustration and brand design, Alex has worked with brands including M.A.C Cosmetics, L’Oréal Paris, Adidas, Saks, and Hallmark. Alex teaches at Ryerson University in the School of Fashion and Creative Industries programs, as well as at OCAD University in Graphic Design. Alex first became interested in democratic engagement and media literacy because of work that her father, a political scientist at Queen’s University, was undertaking in the 1990s. After Ukraine broke from Russia, reformist leaders of the new country believed that democracy could only succeed if its citizens understood the rights and responsibilities of democratic citizenship. Alex’s father directed a program to introduce the study of democracy into the education system of Ukraine, and worked on this project intensively for almost two decades. During this period, Alex had the opportunity to develop design work that related to these projects and became interested in identifying ways in which design could be used to enhance democratic knowledge and youth engagement.