Tag: design research

Reveal, Empower, Propel: Design Education for a Tenacious Community

Herb Vincent Peterson
Associate Professor of Design: Coordinator of Graphic Design
Co-Founder of Marion Design Co.
Division of Art + Design
Indiana Wesleyan University

Wendy Puffer
Assistant Professor: Coordinator of Design for Social Impact
Co-Founder of Marion Design Co.
Division of Art + Design
Indiana Wesleyan University

No larger than 30,000 people and deeply bruised by a downtrodden economy rooted in racial tensions, the rustbelt town of Marion, Indiana begs to become triumphant once again. A community previously slated to become the thriving metropolis of the Mid-West, now promotes a residue of the past with blighted storefronts, broken homes, and vast and vacant warehouses. Here lies the real crossroads of America. Never before has there been such a need to see Design as a mechanism to reveal a true identity within a community and empower its people to propel forward into a new chapter of vibrant life.

How can design empower radical change? How can students learning design employ empathy to develop relational design practices and drive trust in a community plagued by deep trauma? What is the responsibility of University design programs connected to rust-belt and blighted American towns?

This is the story about a social design studio and the subsequent movements that change how we consider community activism and design education. The studio of faculty and undergraduates face wicked problems head on while gaining experience conducting ethnographic research with community members. The environment of unbridled growth of ideas, reflective of the academic model of the middle ages, encourages individuality and freedom of thought. Through an immersive experience where students learn to become design leaders, the social design studio of Marion Design Co. utilizes design thinking strategies engaging community toward authentic relationships, bringing much needed hope and innovation.

This research was presented at the Design Incubation Colloquium 3.3: Kent State University on Saturday, March 11, 2017.

Framing Metaphors in Visual Identity Design

Jason E. Murdock
Undergraduate Instructor
School of Visual Communication Design
Kent State University

The metaphors used by designers to describe the logos they create reveal something about the technology they have at their disposal, as well as how they think these graphic devices should be applied.

Brand, mark, signature, and signet are all metaphors that frame logos as instruments for making impressions onto surfaces as a way to denote ownership and authorship, and these metaphors dominated visual identity design during the first half of the twentieth century. During the second half of the century, as design thinking shifted away from authorship and ownership toward service, experience, and participation, new metaphors emerged to describe new functions for logos. Container, icon, kit of parts, and module are all metaphors that frame logos as components of a larger systems—ascribing to them a variety of possible applications—and these metaphors are becoming increasingly prevalent in twenty-first century visual identity design.

This shift in framing metaphors coincides with the shift from Swiss and International Style Modernism to American Modernism and Postmodernism, or, as Dubberly (2008) has put it, from a mechanical-object ethos to an organic-systems ethos. This presentation offers a framework for understanding the logos created during this transitional period in graphic design history by identifying and defining three framing metaphors—logo as signature, logo as motif, and logo as building block—and providing visual evidence by way of case studies. Unlike other classification systems—such as Mollerup’s “Taxonomic tree of trademarks” (2013)—that take a morphological (i.e. a form-based) approach to categorization, the framework presented here takes a more pragmatic approach by categorizing logos based on how they are described and used.

This research was presented at the Design Incubation Colloquium 3.3: Kent State University on Saturday, March 11, 2017.

Call for Entries: Communication Design Educators Awards 2017

Design Incubation is delighted to announce we are now accepting entries for the Communication Design Educators Awards 2017. The deadline for applications is May 31, 2017.

The distinguished jurors for 2017 are the following:

Audrey Bennett
Professor

Communication and Media
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Steven McCarthy (Chair)
Professor of Graphic Design
University of Minnesota

Emily McVarish
Associate Professor
Graphic Design; Design; Writing
California College of Art

Maria Rogal
Professor of Graphic Design
University of Florida

David Shields
Associate Professor & Chair of Department of Graphic Design
Virginia Commonwealth University

This year, we are recognizing work in four (4) categories:

  • Scholarship: Published Research
  • Scholarship: Creative Work (design research, creative production, and/or professional practice)
  • Teaching
  • Service  (departmental, institutional, community)

For eligibility and criteria, go to the Competition Overview page.

For application process, go to the Awards Application Process page.

The awards will be announced the first week of September 2017.

Design Incubation Colloquium 3.3: Kent State University

Saturday, March 11, 2017
School of Visual Communication Design
Kent State University
Kent, OH 44242

Design Incubation is excited to announce our first excursion to the midwest.  We have been invited by Kent State University, School of Visual Communication Design to hold a day of design research presentations and discussion.

Saturday, March 11, 2017
10:30AM–4:30PM
School of Visual Communication Design
Kent State University
Kent, OH 44242

Visit back for more details. We are accepting abstract submissions now until February 18, 2017.

Hosted by
School of Visual Communication Design, Jessica Barness (jbarness@kent.edu) and Sanda Katila (skatila@kent.edu)

Venue

Cene Lecture Hall, Center for Architectural and Environmental Design, Kent State University.

This venue is across the street from the Kent State Hotel in downtown Kent, where there are also many restaurants, shops, bars, etc. Parking is available (campus lot, street, and downtown parking ramp).

Travel to Kent

Kent is located in the Cleveland-Akron metro area and is easily accessible from I-80 (Ohio Turnpike) and I-76. Two airports serve the area: Akron-Canton (CAK) and Cleveland Hopkins International (CLE).

Parking

Parking: Kent Central Gateway parking ramp ($5/day).

Directions to venue from parking: After exiting the parking ramp on foot, walk to the left and across Haymaker Parkway to the KSU campus gateway. Look for the large, brand new brick-and-glass building just ahead on the right – roughly 1 block. Entrance is at the far end of the building: Center for Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED).

Accommodations

The Kent State Hotel is located across the street from the colloquium venue. Contact the hosts for other accommodation recommendations in the area.

Schedule

10:15 Presenter setup

10:30 Introduction

10:45 Morning Presentations

Grafik Intervention: Sparking Urban Revitalization Efforts Through Graphic Design
Brit Rowe
Associate Professor of Art & Design
Department of Art & Design
Ohio Northern University

Re-Inscribing History
Yoonkyung Kim
Assistant Professor of Visual Communication
OU School of Visual Arts
University of Oklahoma

Hearing What Isn’t Said: Visualizing Non-Verbal Responses In Data Analysis
Sanda Katila
Associate Professor  
School of Visual Communication Design
Kent State University

Science Rules: Why Design Research Needs Scientific Research Classifications
Dennis Cheatham

Assistant Professor of Graphic
Design 
Graduate Director, Experience Design MFA 

Miami University

Framing Metaphors in Visual Identity Design
Jason E. Murdock

Undergraduate Instructor

School of Visual Communication Design

Kent State University

Evaluating a Socialization and Companionship Augmented Reality System
Yi-Fan Chen
Experience Design MFA candidate
Miami University

Video Games Help to Prepare Girls For a Competitive Future In Stem
Leigh Hughes
Adjunct Instructor
School of Visual Communication Design
Kent State University

11:45 Q&A / Discussion

12:30 Lunch in downtown Kent

1:45 Afternoon Presentations

Featured Presentation:

Critical Practices as Design Scholarship: Strategies and Opportunities

Jessica Barness
Assistant Professor
School of Visual Communication Design
Kent State University

Steven McCarthy
Professor
College of Design
University of Minnesota

Presentations:

Uncovering Classical Painting Through Design Process and Artifacts
Zachary Winegardner

MFA Candidate 

Ohio State University

Place Into Words: An Unconventional Approach To Communicating The Story of Human Space Flight

Alan Walker
MFA Candidate & Adjunct Instructor
School of Visual Communication Design
Kent State University

Alex Catanese
MFA Candidate & Adjunct Instructor
School of Visual Communication Design
Kent State University

Jordan Kauffman
MFA Candidate & Adjunct Instructor
School of Visual Communication Design
Kent State University

Reveal, Empower, Propel: Design Education for a Tenacious Community

Herb Vincent Peterson
Associate Professor of Design: Coordinator of Graphic Design
Co-Founder of Marion Design Co.
Division of Art + Design
Indiana Wesleyan University

Wendy Puffer
Assistant Professor: Coordinator of Design for Social Impact
Co-Founder of Marion Design Co.
Division of Art + Design
Indiana Wesleyan University

INPLACE: Innovative Plan for Leveraging Arts Through Community Engagement

Robert J. Thompson
Assistant Professor
Graphic & Interactive Design
Department of Art
College of Creative Arts & Communications
Youngstown State University

Terry Schwarz
Director
Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative
Kent State University

The Process Of Exploring the Next Urban Condition

Adam Fromme
MFA Candidate 
Department of Design
The Ohio State University

Participatory Design Research and Social Practice: Postcard Exchange as a Generative Design Research Tool for Eliciting Stories
Hemalatha Venkataraman
MFA Candidate
Design Research and Development
The Ohio State University

Two Implications of Action-Centric Interaction Design
Ian Bellomy
Assistant Professor Communication Design
Myron E. Ullman, Jr. School of Design
University of Cincinnati

Multi-modal Interface Design: Communicating Design Through  Presentation and Review
Peter Lusch
Assistant Professor of Graphic Design
College of Arts and Architecture
Penn State

Danielle Oprean
Post-Doctoral Research Scholar
Stuckeman Center for Design Computing
Penn State

3:45 Q&A / Discussion

5:00 Drinks and conversation, location TBA in downtown Kent (optional)

Colloquium 3.3: Kent State University Call for Submissions

Kent State University, in the Kent, Ohio will be hosting a Design Incubation Colloquium. Abstract submission deadline February 18, 2017.

Kent State University, in the Kent, Ohio will be hosting a Design Incubation Colloquium on Saturday, March 11, 2017. All are welcome to attend. Details and agenda can be found on the Colloquium 3.3: Kent State University page.
We are accepting abstract submissions for presentations. Abstract submission deadline: February 18, 2017.

We invite designers—practitioners and educators—to submit abstracts of design research.  Presentations are limited to 6 minutes + 4 minutes for questions.
For more details, see the Submission Process description.

Email 300 word abstract to submissions@designincubation.com.  Questions can be directed to info@designincubation.com.

Please RSVP@designincubation.com if you plan on attending. Space is limited.

Type Thursday Interview With Liz Deluna and Mark Zurolo

Read the interview with Thomas Jockin of Type Thursday, Liz Deluna and Mark Zurolo.

View at Medium.com

Addressing Racial Disparity in Design Education

Audra Buck-Coleman
Associate Professor
Graphic Design Program Director
University of Maryland College Park

How do you engage undergraduates in complex, conflict-ridden issues such as social injustice, racism and police brutality? How can these students co-design meaningful objects and messages around such topics that resonate with its stakeholders and community members? Finally, how can you know if these efforts have been productive and successful? BMORE Than The Story offers one case study of how to answer these questions.

In April 2015, the death of Freddie Gray and his treatment by police sparked anger, protests and violence in Baltimore. People from President Obama to the mayor of Baltimore to countless others called the protesters “thugs” and strongly denounced the Uprising and the destruction taking place. The overriding media narrative was pejorative and full of scorn. West Baltimore schools and their students, including those at nearby Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts (AFSIVA), a public high school, were implicated in the crime and destruction whether they committed it or not. These students lost control of how they wanted to be defined and regarded.

BMORE Than The Story brought together AFSIVA students and graphic design seniors at University of Maryland College Park to co-design an exhibit that would address critical issues in their community: racial disparities, identity, disenfranchisement, equity, oppression, policing and self-agency. The students reclaimed their narrative and voiced counterpoints to the previous year’s one-sided media portrayal. The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History in Culture in Baltimore, a Smithsonian affiliate, hosted the exhibit April through September 2016.

In addition, project authors incorporated qualitative and quantitative research to assess the project’s effectiveness. Results showed the high school students were empowered by the project and deemed the exhibit highly successful. Lessons include ways to engage students on difficult topics as well as ways to measure the effectiveness of such a project.

This research was presented at the Design Incubation Colloquium 3.2: Parsons Integrated Design on Thursday, Feb 16, 2017.

Critical Practices as Design Scholarship: Strategies and Opportunities

Jessica Barness
Assistant Professor
School of Visual Communication Design
Kent State University

Steven McCarthy
Professor
College of Design
University of Minnesota

Conventional academic scholarship typically involves publishing one’s research findings in journals and books, or in the arts, performing or exhibiting creative work. Design straddles these worlds and adds its own cultural norms, such as industry competitions that seek the commercial work of professional practitioners, or the fine arts tradition with its emphasis on gallery shows. Design scholarship, whether written or visual, does not always fit these models: How might design faculty approach the dissemination of creative work that is neither client-based nor fine art?

Over the past decade, another path to knowledge formation and scholarly productivity has emerged: critical making. Involving a speculative approach to design (experimental, future-oriented, expressive), critical making combines an authorial point-of-view with the tangible aspects of media, technology, materials and process. Critical making is experiential and uses design to create knowledge across disciplines.

Through critical making, some design faculty have found diverse scholarly venues to share their creative and intellectual work. These dissemination venues often take their cues from other disciplinary cultures like the humanities, the arts, science, engineering and business, and can include publications, exhibitions, performances, and conferences. These venues can be an advantage to design scholars as they are already generally recognized and legitimized by academic culture. However, faculty may not fully understand the opportunities for an enhanced, rigorous approach to scholarship – a strategic integration of making and writing – that moves beyond industry practice and fine arts traditions yet remains distinctly relevant to the design discipline.

Considerations of this presentation will include faculty effort, the scholarly product, the selection process, dissemination venues, scope (local, regional, national, international), and the resulting impact. The challenges in assessing interdisciplinary work and the roles in collaborative projects will be discussed, as will the implications for tenure and promotion.

This research was presented at the Design Incubation Colloquium 3.3: Kent State University on Saturday, March 11, 2017.

Design Incubation Colloquium 3.2: Parsons Integrated Design

Parsons Integrated Design in Manhattan on Thursday, Feb 16, 2017, 4PM-7PM.

Hosted by Andrew Shea

Design Incubation Colloquium 3.2 (#DI2017feb) will be held at Parsons, the New School in Manhattan. This event is open to all interested in Communication Design research.

Thursday, February 16, 2017
Dorothy Hirshon Suite, Room I-205
Arnhold Hall
55 West 13th Street

Abstract submission for presentations deadline January 26, 2017.  For details visit the Call for Submissions, and Submission Process description.

 

Presentations

Fusing Hand and Hi-Tech for Hi-Touch
Denise Anderson

Assistant Professor
Robert Busch School of Design

Kean University

Edward Johnston

Assistant Professor

Robert Busch School of Design
Kean University

Not Just Playing Around: Game Design In The Interaction Design Classroom
Liese Zahabi 

Assistant Professor of Graphic/Interaction Design

University of Maryland, College Park

Addressing Racial Disparity in Design Education
Audra Buck-Coleman
Associate Professor
Graphic Design Program Director
University of Maryland College Park

Teaching Design in the Age of Convergence
Robin Landa
Distinguished Professor
Michael Graves College, Kean University  

The Avant-Garde of Iranian Graphic Design
Pouya Jahanshahi
Assistant Professor of Graphic Design
Department of Art, Graphic Design and Art History
Oklahoma State University

Light Switch Graphically-Assisted Nudge
Niyati Mehta
Adjunct Lecturer
New York City College of Technology
Nassau Community College
Lehman College 

From Design as Artifact to Design as Process: Applying an Open Model to Community Engagement in Social Design 
Cat Normoyle
Assistant Professor
Memphis College of Art

Data Visualization Research: How It Informs Design and Visual Thinking
Joshua Korenblat
Assistant Professor, Graphic Design
SUNY New Paltz

Design Crew Course: Human Context and Service Learning in Visual Communication 
Mark DeYoung
Professor
Kalamazoo Valley CC

Webinar: The Writing and Publishing Challenge @RGD

A webinar discussing design scholarship with an emphasis on the intersection of professional practice and writing.

A webinar discussing design scholarship with an emphasis on the intersection of professional practice and writing. Information about discipline specific journals and book publishers.

As design educators we are increasingly asked to do it all. We need to excel in the classroom, provide service to our institution, maintain a professional practice and publish and engage in design-related scholarship.

See more at: http://www.rgd.ca/events-and-programs/rgd-events/events/

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