An Associate Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, member of the ASP Program Council, the Rector’s Committee for Awards and Distinctions, and the Program Council for Doctoral Studies. Alongside her extensive academic and teaching career at the university, in 2001, she decided to embark on independent design projects, co-founding her own studio, Studio 1:1. Seeking a balance between the design process and the implementation of design ideas into production, she fully devoted herself to the passion of creation. She has participated in numerous competitions, earning awards on both a national and European scale. Her accolades include the 1st prize in the competition for the “Concept of the Permanent Exhibition Scenography for the European Solidarity Centre in Gdańsk” and the 1st prize for the Reserved store concept and its equipment at the MAPPIC AWARD 2003 in Cannes, received on behalf of LPP. She is also the author of the book Small Space, Big Comfort, which explores the essence of finding comfort even in the most modest spaces. Her expertise in the retail industry spans over 20 years, with a portfolio that includes designs for more than 800 stores and over 800,000 m² of retail space. She has worked with major retail chains such as LPP, Big Star, HomeYou, and A’Tab.

Born in 1963 in Rypin. A graduate of PWSSP (currently the Academy of Fine Arts) in Gdańsk, he earned his diploma at the Faculty of Architecture and Design under the supervision of Professor Jacek Popek. Since 1991, he has been a teaching staff member at the Faculty of Architecture and Industrial Design. Between 2012 and 2016, he served as Vice-Rector for Education and Student Affairs at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk. He has held the title of professor since 2014.

He is fascinated by the works of anonymous designer-makers, captivated by their simplicity and functionality, consistent in their logic and form over decades. These creations inspire him more than the latest design trends. Following in the footsteps of these anonymous creators, he seeks clear structure and simple relationships between material, structure, and function in the objects he designs. The form—commonly associated with design—comes last for him; it is never the starting point but always the “punchline.”

Since 2001, together with his wife Beata Szymańska, he has run the design office Studio 1:1, where, along with a team of designers, he works on projects in industrial design, architecture, exhibition design, and interior architecture. Studio 1:1 is, among other things, the author of the architectural concept, furnishing system, and visual identity for the retail chains Reserved, Cropp, and Home&You. A key feature of the team’s work, led by Jarosław Szymański and his wife Beata Szymańska, is prototyping large-format stores at a 1:1 scale. Designing universal, system-based store components—including furniture, fixtures, and lighting—has allowed for the optimization of retail network development processes.

Jarosław Szymański has also completed numerous exhibition design projects—including several temporary exhibitions at the Castle Museum in Malbork and others such as the Günter Grass exhibition at the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre in Gdańsk. One of his most significant undertakings, realized with Beata Szymańska and the Studio 1:1 design team, was the permanent exhibition at the European Solidarity Centre. The concept, which won first prize in the 2008 competition for the development of the permanent exhibition's scenographic concept, was brought to life by their team.

He is also a recipient of numerous awards. He received, among others, a gold medal from the Poznań International Fair for electrical installation equipment for ELTRA S.A. (team award), a distinction from the Polish “Teraz Polska” emblem for the GALA series of electrical installation equipment for ELTRA S.A. (team award), third prize in the "Lamp" competition organized by the Rzecz Piękna Foundation in Kraków (with B. Szymańska), and second prize in the Clock Design Competition organized by the same foundation (also with B. Szymańska). In 2008, he received second prize in the competition for the design concept of the permanent exhibition of the Gdynia City Museum. By decision of the jury, together with the Studio 1:1 team, he was awarded first place in the competition for the permanent exhibition of the Lubomirski Princes Museum in Wrocław.

In October 2020, a commission appointed by the Institute of Industrial Design awarded Jarosław Szymański the prestigious title of Designer of the Year—the Institute President’s Award for the best Polish designer.