Digital Commons Network^™

Ict, Ideation Pedagogy And Innovation Education: Setting A New Paradigm In Graphic Design Education, Edward Appiah, Johannes Cronjé

Learn X Design Conference Series

The introduction of ICT into graphic design education has also brought in some challenges as far as the pedagogy is concerned, as it requires relearning, training and upgrading. Whereas modern practices and education is flouted with ICT, the pedagogy of graphic design education, especially in the developing economies, which is an adaptation of the Bauhaus theory, is in variance with current practices in both the profession and in its education. As part of an going stuHAGENdy, we discusses the literature of current graphic design practices as a contribution to the adaptation of Innovation Education (IE) in a specific Virtual Reality …

Designing Social Change: Inquiry-Based Teaching In Graphic Design, Donald Tarallo

Art and Art History Faculty Publications

This paper shares an exploratory and inquiry-based graphic design project and the resultant pedagogic approach that offers arts and design educators ideas on teaching to instigate positive social change. The author summarizes a year-long fellowship project where he worked as a change agent in service to a partnership of six non-profit, after-school arts programs in Providence, Rhode Island who are organized as the Providence Youth Arts Collaborative (PYAC).

The intention of this project was two-fold. The primary effort was to investigate ways graphic design can be strategically used to seed interest and empower youth to make positive choices with how …

Sustainable Systems Thinking In Communication Design Education, Yvette M. Perullo

Open Access Theses

Design ingenuity and sustainability can, and should, work together. Designers have an ethical responsibility to provide ideas that do no harm, and better yet, create positive solutions that nourish the environment, social and cultural structures, and the economy. This approach, referred to as sustainable systems thinking--in contrast to more common design approaches--looks at a problem as an integrated component of an entire network. Sustainable systems thinking helps designers, clients, and consumers to consider who or what is connected to the design outcome, where the project will have positive and negative ecological, financial, cultural or social impacts, and make the entire …

Blue Book, Daniel Cole

Theses and Dissertations

Alain De Botton writes in The Architecture of Happiness, that “any object of design will give off an impression of the psychological and moral attitudes it supports.” Interpreting design then is done by understanding the attitudes of the designer, which either will or will not resonate with the viewer. I may consider the formal and conceptual merits of an object of design, but ultimately my attitudes determine whether the object will have resonance with me. These “attitudes” are, anthropologically speaking, values: what a person finds most good, proper, or desirable in life. Values are the key to the creation of …

Wanderings, Jetter Jorge Silva

Theses and Dissertations

While it implies aimless movement, the act of wandering is an act of discovery and can become a search for the unexpected. Wandering, as a metaphor for making, creates opportunities to work in ways where the final outcome is unknown. This can be accomplished by the creation of methods and instructions designed for wandering-the act of discovery. In the field of design, these ideas can be incorporated as methods for making that guide the design process in ultimately unknowable ways, resulting in products that bear little trace of preconception. The role of chance and indeterminacy as methods for relinquishing control …

Designing With Images: Using A Realism Continuum To Choose Pictures For Communication Tasks, Stuart Medley

Research outputs 2013

Graphic design has historically been concerned with giving identity to clients’ projects. But what of its own identity? Graphic design and typography have become interchangeable terms, to the detriment of any theoretical position on pictures. This paper explains the necessity of a theory of pictures specific to the graphic design discipline. Bamford (2003) says there can’t be a vocabulary of images since it would be as limitless as the imagination and graphic skills of humanity. But a search for a vocabulary of images is a red herring for graphic design. Typography is less about what is spoken and more about …

Reflective Methods In Design Pedagogy, Jillian Coorey

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This study proposes reflection as a pedagogical approach in design education. Design students lack of process was noticed as they struggled with basic ideation and exploration. To more effectively communicate the notion of process, reflective methods were introduced within the design studio. Reflection enhances learning and productiveness, vital goals of the education process (Russell, 2001). Jack Mezirow, an educator and researcher made the following statement about critical reflection, “reflection may enable individuals to change their habits of expectation and, as a result, develop more accurate perceptions, avoid premature cognitive commitments, and achieve greater flexibility and creativity” (1991). This paper presents …

A Cup Is A Corpse: A Thesis Project Implementing An Experimental Approach To Visual Communication And Advocating The Concept Of Slow Design, Yu Fen Kung

Theses

Based on the dissection of the phenomenon of coffee culture and the introspection of the negative environmental impact from the overwhelming usage of paper coffee cups, this thesis explores a design approach to advocate the paper coffee cup issue in an educational and experimental way. A Cup Is A Corpse is a thesis that defines the possibilities between environmental topic and design resolution. It is an advertising campaign targeted on local coffee shops, providing fundamental knowledge of the paper coffee cup matter to regular consumers. A slow design approach is applied to the final design application for the reason of …

What We See And Why It Matters: How Competency In Visual Literacy Can Enhance Student Learning, Anneliese Tillmann

Honors Projects

In today’s world, we use more visuals than ever before. Research suggests that the balance between words and images has shifted considerably calling for new forms of literacy (Brumberger, 2011). Visual literacy goes above and beyond the traditional concepts of reading and writing, expanding literacy to include visuals. The analysis and review of current visual literacy research suggests teaching visual literacy is necessary for students to become capable of navigating the visually driven world in which we live. The research highlights the importance of incorporating visuals into the literacy curricula and explores practical uses of visual literacy in present day …

Identification Of Perceived 21st Century Graphic Design Skills, Content Knowledge, And Tools Needed In An Effective University-Level Graphic Design Program, Amanda W. Bridges

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify 21st century skills, content knowledge, and tools needed in an effective university-level graphic design program. Inconsistencies in the graphic design curriculum, fueled by the increasingly large number of programs and concentrations and the inability to track graduates, were some of the issues that led to a need for this study.

This study was an expansion of a previous 2006 study conducted by Shyang-Yuh Wang, which took place in Kansas and Missouri. This current study used a modified Delphi Technique in which perceptions from university-level graphic design educators and industry professionals from North …

Material Meaning, Anne Jordan

Theses and Dissertations

The synthesis of old and new, analog and digital, and hand- and computer-based methods provides designers with an opportunity to work beyond the constraints of the computer and take advantage of the aesthetic effects that actual materials bring to visual communication. Designers who choose to actively participate in their process – bringing the aesthetic effects of working materially into the realm of the digital – will likely learn to reject an approach that relies too heavily on passive digital tools. Active participation in the design process can extend our creative vocabulary and humanize visual communication.

Through Process, Mitchell Goldstein

Theses and Dissertations

At the core of any designer’s activity is the process they engage with to create design. Process is not only a way to get from an idea to a completed work, it is also what determines our attitude towards design. This is the place where both the design and the designer are created. The gray area between nothing and something is where we go to discover design, and in turn to discover who we are and what matters to us. In this thesis I am investigating the nebulous place between ideas and things, thoughts and artifacts, and being just a …

Graphic Design + Biomimicry, Margaret Mckosky

Theses

GRAPHIC DESIGN + BIOMIMICRY: Integrating Nature into Modern Design Practices is a thesis that explores how to effectively integrate the methodologies and principles of graphic design and biomimicry. The objective is to create an innovative design process resulting in successful, sustainable and timeless design solutions. This process is meant to remind designers of the benefits nature has to offer in helping us solve many of the problems that society is currently grappling with today. Nature over 3.8 billion years has already used its imaginative prowess to find what works, what is appropriate, and most importantly, what lasts here on Earth. …

Creating Visual Solutions: Using Creative Problem Solving Techniques In Graphic Design, Deanna L. Clohessy

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project examines the ways that Creative Problem Solving (CPS) techniques can be used in part or in whole to solve visual problems in the design process. The project researches creative process and various methods employed within, introduces new or modified approaches to CPS in design, and demonstrates the application of CPS in design through a case study involving the development of an identity system for a local business.

Design For Good: The Philosophical Alignment Of The Arts And Crafts, Modernist, And Handmade Movements, Kate Palermo

Theses

The early 1990's marked the beginning of the digital age when a transformation in graphic design technology and practice began to occur. For many graphic designers, the tactile approach to assembling a composition was abandoned as computer software advanced. While this shift in production technique saved time, it contributed (in many cases) to an unfortunate waning of interest in skill and craft. Perhaps as a reaction to this technologically- reliant era of design, many contemporary artists have returned to traditional processes (letterpress, etching, hand-rendered illustration, hand-written type) in order to reconnect with viewers and with their own work. This `Handmade' …

In Between Seeing And Representing: An Exploration Of Visual Expression, Andrew Linde

Undergraduate Review

Strong design solutions are rarely arrived at by chance and are often inconceivable without an evolutionary process of ideation. Carefully crafted messages that take into account how a reader interprets an image demand the skills of a designer who is in a sense a translator, visualizing abstract concepts in concrete form. My inquiry revolves around the process of representing a salt shaker through a series of visual studies using diverse methods of expression such abstraction, reduction, and stylization. The intention was to investigate the question; What are the limits and possibilities of visual expression in the representation of a simple …

Aural Landscapes, Brandi Price

Theses and Dissertations

Music and design draw upon innate parallels concerned with the creation and existence of space. By acknowledging the roles of both the visual and the aural in my design process as input and output, I attempt to achieve a deeper understanding of my intuition as a visual communicator. I believe that the visual and aural are linked—existing harmoniously together. The collected works present ever-evolving ideas on visualizing the experience of sound.

Typothesis: A Study Of Warde's Crystal Goblet, Leeuwen's Typographic Meaning And How It Relates To The Bible, Ryan Mercer

Senior Honors Theses

The way readers interpret the written word is changing. We look for information almost as much in between the lines as we do in the words themselves. The internet and its tools offer ways for readers to engage the text like never before — can the printed word keep up? This thesis will look at the history of print through the eyes of typography and decide if multimodal methods of arranging type are appropriate or even possible in the modern book. Specifically, it will look at the Christian Bible and it’s already present use of multimodalism. This study will bring …

Audience Feedback As An Influence On Graphic Design Problem Solving, Christopher Petrides

Theses

User-generated feedback is arguably the most efficient tool to evaluate a specific product or service. Even though it is widely used to evaluate and subsequently improve video game design, it is not commonly used for graphic design applications. The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate how user-generated feedback can be utilized to improve existing graphic design applications. Specifically, three types of feedback collection vehicles were selected for use in graphic design: personal observation, evaluation polls, and existing video game design feedback. In order to demonstrate the advantage of using user generated feedback, information collected through the feedback collection vehicles …

Look, Cook, Learn: A Recipe For Improved Functionality In Cooking Design, Anna Mizer

Theses

Look, Cook, Learn: A Recipe for Improved Functionality In Cooking Design is a thesis which explores the relationship and differences between print media and digital media. Both are studied in respect to instructional cooking materials with their strengths and weaknesses .The final application involves a digital application for the Apple iPad as well as a printed recipe book. The user experience is of great importance and therefor information layering, visual layout, and consumer expectations are all considered. All information that is included in both the digital application is broken into sections depending on the function or action that the user …

A Visual Understanding: An Interactive Learning Application, Joanna Ward

Theses

As a thesis project, A Visual Understanding can be defined as a contextual experiment portraying the relationship between traditional composition techniques and visual communication online. This project focuses on the issue of significance when viewing photography online and the ways in which Computer Graphics Design can solve this problem. The educational application address the problems with the way in which photography is being portrayed by first, creating awareness about this concern and second, educating the online user in attempt to solve this problem. The interactive application developed educates users on traditional composition theories that have proven to be successful means …

Color Psychology And Graphic Design Applications, Rose M. Rider

Senior Honors Theses

Color filters humanity’s perception of the world and alters people’s relationship with their surroundings. It influences human perception, preference, and psychology throughout the lifespan. Color preferences appear in infants as young as three months old, and typically change with age. Some responses to color may be innate, and some may be learned from nature or culture. Cool hues are relaxants, and are generally preferred over their more arousing warm counterparts. Color is a subtle but pervasively influential element in graphic design. It permeates graphic representations in packaging, advertising, and branding. Slight variations in color can advance or devastate design effectiveness …

The Design Brief: Conceptual Tool For Visual Resolution Of Professional Design Problems, Jason Andrew Neal

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis I show how I have integrated the design brief concept with my art philosophy to help guide the exploration and visual resolution of three academic visual projects. The design brief is the most significant project management tool I have added to my design philosophy and production approach during my graduate studies. It has not changed the art I create, but rather has changed how I plan for and manage the production of my art. The brief consists of a series of questions that I can apply to all design decisions to make sure those decisions remain consistent …

Unseen, Sohee Kwon

Theses and Dissertations

Photography conveys informative data, aesthetic value, and a conceptual message very much like graphic design. In the hands of the photographer, the viewfinder of a camera becomes an editing tool. Editing by point of view, use of color and cropping determines a great deal about the communication made by imagery. In my creative project, I will explore photography as a means to generate form, concept, and content. As a result of this exploration, I expect to find new ways of approaching graphic design problems. My goal is to develop themes that combine aspects of photography and graphic design. Themes could …

Minnesota Tuning Project: Biology And Graphic Design, Kristi L. Kremers, Krista M. Soria, Lynn D. Akey

Academic Affairs Publications

Within the tuning methodology, a key step is the utilization of a consultative survey. The objectives established in the Bologna process for the tuning survey “include gleaning current perspectives on the diversity of practice and commonality of knowledge across borders and traditions, and seeking a simple and accessible language to create a scaffolding on which the various degrees can work in comfort and trust” (Adelman, 2009, p. 49). The Minnesota tuning surveys sought the consultation of previous graduates, current students, employers of graduates, and academic faculty for each of the disciplines involved in tuning.

Design By Accident, Mengfu Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Accident is a metaphor for life. From an arbitrary point in time, we potentially preview the entirety of existence. There is a Chinese idiom called “ blessing or bane,” which implies that a misfortune may perhaps soon turn into a blessing. Focusing on accident as a design method implies making the best out of a bad situation. An accident reveals invisible circumstances and potentialities in the world, both familiar and unfamiliar. Looking into the unpredictable world, I can begin to release my control, take a breath, and see what might happen if I do not fight the situation. I am …

Crafting Authenticity, Allison N. Schumacher

Theses and Dissertations

Authenticity is what we want from the world around us, from others, and crucially from ourselves and what we make. As it relates to graphic design, I define authenticity as a perceived match between form and purpose. For the designer, its quality is found in the process of simultaneously developing a concept and crafting the design/object.

Forming Process : Design Through Layered Visual Systems And Multiple Collection Methods : A Thesis, Jen Magathan

Masters Theses

"Do not hide the structure, celebrate it in the form" ; "Approach design from multiple points of view."

These adages, so important in my architectural training, reverberate with intricate practicality in my work as a graphic designer, both as a way of building my design and as a means of developing a design process which explores multiple ways of organizing content through visual systems. Forming Process is defined by three conditions: celebrating the visual systems which organize the design, archiving content from multiple ways of collecting, and creating work by which the process of design is implicit in the design …

Modes Of Participation: Co-Creative Approaches To The Design Process, Carissa Henriques

Theses and Dissertations

This project explores the notion of participation within the graphic design and problem-solving process. Through projects using generative tools and collaboration, I explore ways to instigate controlled participation from designers and non-designers. I observe and document how the methods and means of participation affect the creative process during these projects.

Architecture And Urban Design As Influences On The Communication Of Place And Experience In Graphic Design, Candice Reese

Theses

Most architects and urban designers are challenged to design schemas and structures to create a particular experience and sense of place. It is through the manipulation and design of actual three-dimensional spaces that they are able to achieve this. How then is a three-dimensional experience of a place conveyed in two dimensions? Distilling an actual experience into a graphic solution can be exceptionally challenging, but graphic designers may need to accomplish this for particular clients. Examining the ideologies and methodologies of architecture and urban design may offer new and thoughtful approaches for graphic interpretations of three-dimensional experiences. This thesis first …