Professor Fatema Kawaf – Professor in Digital Marketing

Visual & AI-Focused Research for Real-World Impact

I am a Professor of Digital Marketing at Nottingham Business School, specialising in visual and video-based research methods that make digital and AI-driven experiences visible, analysable, and actionable.

I am the creator of Screencast Videography—a pioneering methodology that captures real digital behaviour directly from users’ screens. This approach enables organisations, policymakers, and researchers to move beyond what people say about digital technologies to understand how they are actually experienced in practice—supporting better design, strategy, and decision-making.

My work sits at the intersection of digital marketing, artificial intelligence, visual methods, and human experience, with a strong emphasis on collaboration and impact beyond academia.

Areas of Expertise & Application

My research addresses pressing challenges in contemporary digital environments, including:

• • Digital experience design, customer journeys, and touchpoint optimisation
  • Artificial intelligence, algorithms, and human–technology interaction
  • Visual, video-based, and multimodal research methods
  • Livestream commerce and emerging digital platforms
  • Fashion, luxury, and sustainable consumption
  • Recycling, waste reduction, and responsible consumer behaviour
  • Algorithmic mediation, filter bubbles, and political polarisation

Across these areas, I focus on surfacing tacit, embodied, and hard-to-articulate aspects of digital experience—forms of insight that are often missed by traditional approaches but are critical for effective intervention and innovation.

Selected Funded Projects & Impact

My research has been supported by externally funded, collaborative projects involving industry partners, charities, and public-sector organisations.

Selected examples include:

• Walk in My Shoes (ERDF funded)
  A collaborative project with London Flats Ltd and Brighter Futures Skills Hub, using visual methods to understand the lived digital experiences of disabled consumers and inform inclusive training programmes.
• Instant Pickup (ERDF funded)
  Market research and digital experience analysis for a sustainable same-day delivery start-up, using Screencast Videography to support platform development, usability, and strategic decision-making.
• PIC Tree (ERDF funded)
  Evaluation of digital communication and user experience for a sustainability-focused organisation, translating visual insights into practical recommendations.
• ESRC Collaborations with Essex County Council
  Applied research on school admissions experiences and household waste management practices, supporting evidence-based service improvement.

These projects demonstrate my commitment to co-created research, methodological innovation, and the production of insights that partners can act on.

Research Leadership & Capacity Building

I am Chair of the Academy of Marketing Visual Methods SIG, a global network of over 300 PhD researchers and academics advancing visual, creative, and videographic research methods. Through the SIG, I lead capacity-building initiatives, including workshops, webinars, and methodological training, that support both established and early-career researchers working with visual data.

Previously, I served on the Senior Leadership Team at the University of Greenwich’s Management and Marketing School and have held academic posts across the UK and the Middle East. My leadership work focuses on interdisciplinary collaboration, research development, and methodological innovation.

Industry, Policy & Knowledge Exchange

I previously served as an Executive Board Member and Industry Engagement Lead for the UK Academy of Information Systems (UKAIS), supporting collaboration between academia and industry across Information Systems, Consumer Research, and Digital Marketing.

My research works closely with industry partners, charities, and policy stakeholders, with a strong focus on co-creation, translational insight, and real-world impact. I regularly use visual and art-based dissemination—such as exhibitions, short films, and digital toolkits—to extend reach beyond academic audiences and inform evidence-based decision-making.

Teaching & Doctoral Supervision

I teach across Undergraduate, Postgraduate, MBA, and Doctoral programmes and am committed to research-led, inclusive, and intellectually ambitious education.

I supervise PhD students across a range of interdisciplinary projects and welcome enquiries from strong candidates whose interests align with my research. Current and recent doctoral themes include:

• Sustainable luxury and responsible consumption
• Algorithmic mediation, filter bubbles, and ideological polarisation
• Feminist identities, digital culture, and online consumption (China)
• AI-enabled service quality and service recovery

Applicants with interests in visual methods, digital experience, AI, and sociotechnical change are particularly encouraged to get in touch.

Working Together

I am particularly interested in collaborations involving:

• Funded research projects and networks
• Industry-academic partnerships
• Knowledge exchange and impact-driven initiatives
• Policy-relevant research on AI, digital experience, and wellbeing
• Visual and creative approaches to research dissemination

If you are interested in partnering on research, innovation, or impact-focused projects, I would be delighted to connect