Maria Smith Bohannon

Associate Professor of Graphic Design
Chief Academic Adviser
Graphic Design Adviser
Studio Art Adviser

319 West Wilson Hall
248-370-2577
[email protected]
www.Mariasmithbohannon.com

Maria Smith Bohannon, Associate Professor of Graphic Design and Chief Academic Adviser of the Department of Art, Art History, and Design, is a designer, maker, and writer with a strong focus on sustainable design. Her creative scholarship is dedicated to exploring environmentally conscious materials and design methodology, seeking innovative solutions that reduce ecological impact. Her research emphasizes the importance of integrating sustainability into the design process and education. Smith Bohannon’s work also explores expressive, typographically driven design, where she views letters and language as a playground for endless design experiments. Her designs push the boundaries of typography, blending function and emotion. 

Her work has been featured in international typography and graphic communication journals such as HYPHEN, Design and Culture, and Graphis Letterhead 4. The American Advertising Awards (ADDYS) and Louisville Graphic Design Association (LGDA) awards have recognized her design work. Additionally, she has presented her sustainable pedagogical methods and other creative work at conferences and exhibited her designs nationally and internationally. She serves on the editorial board of Message, an international peer-reviewed journal published by The University of Plymouth in the UK. 

Smith Bohannon received her M.F.A in graphic design from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, and her B.F.A. in graphic design from the Mary Schiller Meyers College of Art at the University of Akron, Akron, Ohio.