Digital Commons Network^™

Τέχνη And Quest-Oriented Learning, Sarah Matzko

All Dissertations

A new approach for teaching undergraduate computer science courses is presented. A general teaching approach that is its basis is also described. Summaries and guides to several introductory courses are provided. Results from the use of the curriculum are presented, and other applications of the approach are suggested.

The Impact Of Variable Data Print On Usability In Design, William Wells

Theses

In a world where people see, process and remember information differently, the question arises: Is technology being used in a manner that acknowledges and addresses user differences to the fullest extent? Currently, new print technologies like Variable Data Printing (VDP) are only being used to create customized direct mailing pieces and personalized products for the purpose of marketing, sales and promotion. However, VDP introduces the ability to change data and design elements in printed documents on an individual basis, making it possible to address differences in visual and cognitive abilities, language and culture, and situational considerations. Applying this concept of …

A Puzzle Piece Epidemic, Nicole Gerard

Architecture Theses and Projects

The architectural design of a center for autistic children is discussed. This center has features for the parents and families of the autistic children. It accommodates the needs for diagnosis, treatments and therapies. There will also be training facilities to teach parents and other family members.

Outside Inside Out: Perspectives On Social Anxiety, Kevin Andrew Hagan

LSU Master's Theses

“Outside Inside Out” is a study of how the visual perspective of an installation design can be used to create interaction, animation, and multiple messages. Traditionally, graphic designers have tended to present their messages either as flat printed materials, such as newspapers and billboards, or as videos/animations on television and the Internet. While both of these mediums provide an adequate means to convey a message, they fall short in presenting information to the audience in a non-obtrusive, interactive form. By using a technique I developed called “Passive Interactivity,” designers can use a viewer’s visual perspective to create interaction, animation, and …

Evaluation Of A Product Under An Attitudinal Approach, L Niemeyer, J Esposel

DRS Biennial Conference Series

The research presented in this article, performed in Brazil, consisted of the evaluation of a specific product, the shaver, through the attitudinal approach techniques. The target product was chosen because it has a clear and unambiguous main function. Besides, it used individually and frequently. Shavers are found in the Brazilian market in a great variety of models, brands and prices. We tested a sample of shavers that are for sale in most drugstores and supermarket in Brazil. All the participants were men. They were gathered according to their educational levels and kind of professional activity. The analysis of the result …

Elements Of Human Decision-Making, Jens G. Pohl

Collaborative Agent Design (CAD) Research Center

The purpose of this paper is to present some understandings of the human problem-solving activity that we have gained in the Collaborative Agent Design Research Center (CADRC) over the past two decades. Since we feel strongly that the human decision-maker should be an integral component of any computer-based decision-support system, it follows that we would have endeavored to incorporate many of the elements that appear to be important to the user in the design of these systems. The complexity of the human cognitive system is evidenced by the large body of literature that describes problem-solving behavior and the relatively fewer …

A Shift In Perspective, Andrew Patrick Ilnicki

Theses and Dissertations

Responsible design practice should include environmental advocacy and a focus on community — subjects often lacking in design education. My creative project is the result of investigations into how designers integrate nature into their design process. By increasing their awareness for communal and environmental advocacy at the undergraduate level, students can develop responsible design practices at the beginning of their career. The result is the student's accumulation of integrity.

Experimental Navigation And The Creative Process, Teresa A. Engle

Theses and Dissertations

For this creative project, I am exploring alternate methods of navigating urban environments, and ways in which this activity can inspire creativity. This process is intended to create a new awareness of the urban landscape, break out of the prescribed, and to inspire innovation. The range of possibilities for this way of navigating is vast, and part of the challenge of my experience has been defining boundaries, assigning variables, and using strategies for exploration – making my process inherently morphological. I hope that my work here will encourage others to step out of their comfort zone and experience their environment …

Breaking Boundaries, Juan Giraldo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Graphic design communication is in constant change. Everyday new technologies emerge and evolve, affecting the way we communicate and deliver messages. For this reason, graphic designers should be able to understand the basic principles of design and effectively apply them to any media. It is my intention with this thesis to analyze the way I work in the design process, my influences, and also, why I make specific decisions based on different media. To illustrate these concepts I will discuss the body of work presented in my thesis exhibition: Breaking Boundaries.

Improving Student Learning Through Theme Based Curriculum Design And Team Teaching: An Action Research Study, Brenda Dermody

Theses

This study is concerned with improving the design and delivery of the curriculum on a four year BA in Design Visual Communication programme in the Technologicl University Dublin. The study examines how aspects of curriculum design and delivery affect some of the key stakeholders - the students and academic staff – involved in the programme. It looks at how the design and delivery of the curriculum can be improved with a view to achieving two main aims. The first aim is to promote a deep approach to learning among visual communication students. The second aim is to promote a deep …

Soul Hunting, Guido Esteban Alvarez

Theses and Dissertations

According to the Webster's unabridged dictionary, a mania is an excessively intense enthusiasm, interest, or desire; a craze. I experience a mania on a daily basis: I take photographs. I trap photographs inside flat, airless fish tanks where time stands still. The creatures captured inside the tanks resurrect every time I see them to remind me of a sound, an odor, a flavor, and, ultimately, a feeling I once experienced and now cherish. This project will attempt to show the energy captured in my photographic archives as a journey through my memories using an experimental interactive method.

Sheep Hill Community Tree, Kimberly Ann Fleischman

Theses and Dissertations

An urban community is a fusion of new and old that is constantly changing. We understand better the plight of a community through raising awareness of its unique history and visual character. Linking individual and community experiences offers an opportunity for dialogue, especially as long-time residents and their new neighbors learn about their different pasts and explore their common future. Community building happens from within, when many individuals sharing common values create positive change.

Designing Without Boundaries., Mickey Glover

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis was written as a supporting paper for a graphic design exhibit for a Master of Fine Arts Degree. The focus of my design is the creation of successful pieces of expressive graphic design that defy many traditional or formal rules of design.

This thesis begins with a brief explanation of my methods and what I feel makes for good expressive design. These include a heavy reliance upon intuition, the necessity of traditional design education, historical and contemporary influences. I then characterize my motivations and methods of creating graphic design. Followed by the relation of my work to historical …

Enterprise Ireland: Stimulating Creativity Through Design Strategies, Peter Dee

Other resources

Stimulating Creativity through Design Strategies: A seminar organised by Enterprise Ireland for business organisations to explore a holistic approach to the design / marketing interface.

Peter Dee - Strategic Design and Marketing Consultant, specialises in the creation of brand development strategies for Enterprise Ireland’s Design Unit. Peter was responsible for the design and development of the brand identity for the Enterprise Ireland Stimulating Creativity through Design Strategies Seminar in Dublin.

Design is an excellent expression of innovation. It can provide product differentiation, gain and hold onto competitive market advantage and assist in the building of strong brands through creative packaging …

The Generation Of Forms And Thai Typeface Design, Pornprapha Phatanateacha

Theses and Dissertations

Changes in culture, design, fashion and lifestyle are very common for a developing country such as Thailand. Losing the identity and significant quality of Thai culture is the biggest concern in this rapid movement in Thai society. The biggest challenge is to preserve the existing culture within the development in the society. These problems within the rapid change not only affect Thai lifestyle and fashion but also Thai graphic design. There is a trend in poster design, advertising, and packaging to follow Western design. That influence suggests that Thai design follow a Western model in order to be as successful. …

Scenic Design For Robinson Jeffers' "Medea"., Christopher Gadomski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The document contained herein contains a record of the West Virginia University, Division of Theatre’s 2002 production of Medea. The scenic design was done in partial fulfillment of the required thesis for the Master of Fine Arts Degree in Scene Design and Technology. This document contains the written history of the both the production and the origin of the work, a synopsis of the play, the production’s concept, and execution, and pictorial documentation of research, process, and the completed product. This document completes the requirements for the Master of Fine Arts Degree.

Use Of The Case Study Method To Provide Initial Design Strategies For Daylighting As A Primary Design Determinant In Earth-Integrated Structures, Brian Christain Holm

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Daylight, a natural energy source in the form of electromagnetic radiation, has been one medium by which one defined and perceived architectural space and form. That was why the creative use of daylight was and continues to be so important in the development of any built environment, especially those which have been integrated into their sites; This study has explored the possibilities of using natural daylight as a primary design determinate to enhance the interior environment of selected earth integrated architectural works. Four commercial institutional projects of various sizes were investigated as case studies to provide insight on the effectiveness …

Implementation Of Computer Technology For More Efficient Industrial Design Processes, Kwang-Chul Ha

Theses

None provided.

The Interrelationship Of Graphic Design And Fine Art, Antoinette Monnier

Theses

The graphic designer is a visual communicator who transmits messages from a client to an audience. The message must be clear and free of the distracting presence of the designer, because a designer's personal biases and feelings are irrelevant to the client's message. However, work produced by some contemporary designers has challenged the notion of clear visual communication and problem-solving. It is self-expressive, ambiguous, and open to interpretation, taking on characteristics traditionally associated with fine art rather than graphic design. While the production and viewing of some graphic design is becoming a more private experience, the reverse is true in …

The Influence Of Format On Accessibility, Audrey Sumberg

Theses

The initial idea for this thesis project stems from an interest in artists' books. Of particular interest is the way in which the physical format of the book can be an integral part of the artistic concept. Artists' books are books as art rather than books about artists or their work. As such, they exceed the boundaries of conventional expectations. They are about themselves, not simply passive vehicles for carrying information. The "reader" experiences an artist's book in much the same way the viewer experiences a painting, a sculpture, or a ceramic vase. The format for carrying information is as …

Motion In Graphics, Jung-Mei Tsen

Theses

None provided.

Experiential Design, Laurel Sisson

Theses

None provided.

The Relationship Between Typographic Design And Photography: Effectively Combining Type With Image, Kristen Leigh Bell

Theses

This thesis project examines the way in which typographic and photographic variables influence visual communication.

Humor As An Element In Graphic Design, Jason J. Snape

Theses

This documentation of my MFA thesis presents my process and progress through an investigation of the relationships between humor and graphic design. Notations in the side column provide resource information and refer to appendices located in the second section of the document.

Symbols, Mary Therese Mccann

Theses

None provided.

Design Theory And Methodology, Carla Tedeschi

Theses

None provided.

Muse As Artist: Selected Women Artists Past And Present, Jennifer R. Mantooth

Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to create an electronic book on the subject of women in the visual arts. The search for a paradigm in the design of such a "book" is currently being explored within the multimedia community of computer graphic designers. As new technology appears at an ever increasing rate, the need to disseminate information rapidly also increases. It is therefore imperative that graphic designers interject themselves into the process because it is through the designer that commmunication will flow to the prospective user. The quality of the design work will determine the quality of the communication.

Design Planner: An Interactive Guide For Design Planning, Roy J. Prochaska

Theses

None provided.

From Constructivism To Deconstructivism, Gladys Brenner

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis deals with four major design movements, beginning with Constructivism, and ending with Deconstructivism, including two other movements, as intermediate links, that developed in the period between International - Swiss Design and Postmodernism. The purpose of this thesis is to explain in a visual time-line, the interrelationships of these movements while at the same time visually represent their concepts. Also it leads to an analysis and discussion of the role of Deconstructivism in graphic design.

Additive And Subtractive Color, Elizabeth Ann Maclean

Theses

None provided.