Ciara Mulvey - MA Graphic Design and Art Direction
Designing Feminist Futures in Sport
I am a multidisciplinary practitioner working across graphic design, illustration, and art direction. My work is informed by feminist discourse and the visibility of women in sport, with a particular focus on rugby union as a space of resilience, identity, and community.
My final project investigated the intersection of feminism, satire, and sport, exploring how visual communication can both critique and empower. The project generated a series of digital and physical outcomes, including posters, zines, badges, screen prints, keychains, and buttons, that engaged with the culture of rugby while challenging the gendered assumptions that persist within it. Through this body of work, I aimed to highlight the collective strength of female athletes while interrogating the narratives that have historically excluded or misrepresented them.
By combining humour, criticality, and accessible design outputs, my practice seeks to reframe the visual culture surrounding women’s sport and amplify voices often overlooked. I am interested in how design can act not only as a form of cultural critique but also as a means of fostering dialogue, pride, and solidarity within communities.
