Biography
Samuel Frei is a design researcher at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts – Design, Film and Art. He initiates and leads research projects, which he carries out in collaboration with partners from professional practice. In his teaching, he focuses on visual communication, storytelling, and creative processes at the intersection of analogue and digital media. His work critically examines design knowledge and explores new approaches to design practice.
After studying biology at the University of Zurich, Samuel Frei worked for several years in the financial sector, holding positions as a project and team manager in the field of education and training. In 2011, he completed a Master's degree in Design and subsequently began his academic career as a research associate in the Visual Narrative research group at the Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art. From 2012 to 2020, he also conducted doctoral research at the SMARTLab at University College Dublin, examining how learning in cultural institutions is being reshaped by increasing mobile mediation.
Between 2013 and 2023, he coordinated the continuing education programmes at the Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art, serving in a leadership role for four of those years. He has been responsible for the module «Data Visualisation and Narration» within the Master of Applied Information and Data Science programme for several years. In 2025, he additionally took on the leadership of the module «Investigative Methods in Research Practice» within the interdisciplinary Colabor study programme.
Alongside his academic work, Samuel Frei is active as an illustrator and concept designer, collaborating with institutions in the fields of nature conservation, culture, and education.
