Tag: design research

Design Incubation Fellowship 2017

January 12 –14, 2017. New York City. A three-day workshop facilitating academic writing and publishing for designers.

The Fellowship Program at Design Incubation

The mission of Design Incubation is to support and facilitate the development of research in the field of communication design. The organization works with academics and practitioners to create scholarly discourse and publications focused on creative projects, critical analysis, historical perspectives, technological advances and other topics relevant to design studies.

Visit the Fellowship Program Format page for details on the fellowship and program format.

Application Deadline: September 1, 2016. Visit the Fellowship Application page for details to apply.

2017 Design Incubation Fellowship
January 12 –14, 2017
St. John’s University’s Manhattan campus

Program Agenda 

The 2017 Design Incubation Fellowship Workshop will include sessions with Elizabeth Guffey, Professor of Art and Design at SUNY Purchase and author of Posters: A Global History and Retro: The Culture of Revival and Maggie Taft, Managing Editor of the journal Design and Culture as well as guest appearances by a number of authors and publishers. Aaris Sherin is director of the Design Incubation Fellowship program. Sherin is a Professor of Graphic Design at St. John’s University in New York and author of a number of books including her most recent titles Elaine Lustig Cohen: Modernism Reimagined and Sustainable Thinking: Ethical Approaches to Design and Design Management. (See below for schedule.)

2017 Fellows List

Peter Lusch
Assistant Professor
Penn State University

Dori Griffin
Assistant Professor
Ohio University School

Sherry Saunders Freyermuth
Assistant Professor
Lamar University

Zachary Kaiser
Assistant Professor
Michigan State University

Yeohyun Ahn
Assistant Professor
Valparaiso University

Pouya Jahanshahi
Assistant Professor
Oklahoma State University

Jennifer Vokoun
Assistant Professor
Walsh University

Lillian Crum
Assistant Professor
Lawrence Technological University

Jessica Hawkins
Assistant Professor
Centenary College of Louisiana

Kimberly Hopkins
Lecturer
Towson University, CA

Danielle Fouschee
Assistant Professor
Arizona State University

Joshua Korenblat
Assistant Professor
State University of New York at New Paltz

George Garrastegui
Assistant Professor
New York City College of Technology

Program Schedule

Schedule: Design Incubation Fellowship Workshop 2017
January 12-14 2017
Location: St. John’s University Manhattan Campus, 101 Astor PL, New York

Facilitators: Aaris Sherin, Maggie Taft and Elizabeth Guffey

Hosts: Liz Deluna and Dan Wong

Featured presentations by: Aaris Sherin, Andrew Shea, Elizabeth Guffey, and Robin Landa

Day 1: Thursday, January 12th

9:00-12:30PM  Introductions. Structuring Scholarship: presentation by Aaris Sherin

12:30PM Lunch

1:30-5:30PM   Writing for Journals workshop session with Maggie Taft, Managing Editor of Design and Culture

Day 2: Friday January 13th

9:00-12:30PM Break out session / working groups:

12:30PM Lunch

1:30-2:00PM Presentation: Andrew Shea, Assistant Professor at Parson’s School for Design, author of Design for Social Change and founder of the design studio MANY

3:30-5:30PM Breakout sessions and 1 year planning

Day 3: Saturday January 14th

9:00-12:30 Breakout session / working groups

12:30PM Lunch

1:30-2:00PM Presentation: Robin Landa, Distinguished Professor Robert Busch School of Design Michael Graves College and author over twenty books including Nimble: Creative Thinking in the Digital Age

2:00-2:30PM Presentation: Elizabeth Guffey, Professor of Art & Design History, State University of New York at Purchase, author of Posters: A Global Perspective,  Retro: The Culture of Revival and founding editor of Design and Culture

3:00-4:30PM Presentation of participant’s work/progress. Feedback and wrap up

6:30PM Group Dinner (attendance optional)

Please note: Schedule is tentative and is subject to change.

The Design Incubation Communication Design Awards 2016

Design Incubation is pleased to announce the results of the inaugural Communication Design Educators Awards!

Design Incubation is pleased to announce the results of the inaugural Communication Design Educators Awards

Design Incubation Communication Design Educators Awards is a competition. We offer recognition in 3 categories: Scholarship (design research, creative production, and/or professional practice), Teaching, and Service  (departmental, institutional, community) in the field of Communication Design. The purpose of these awards is to showcase design excellence and ingenuity in the academic study of design.

Category: Scholarship (winner)

Graphic Design Histories of the Olympic Games

Jilly Traganou
Associate Professor
Parsons School of Design

Category: Teaching (winner)

The Phaistos Project — 45 Symbols

Pascal Glissmann
Assistant Professor
Parsons School for Design

Olivier Arcioli
Lecturer and Researcher
Academy of Media Arts Cologne

Andreas Henrich
Professor
Academy of Media Arts Cologne

Category: Service (winner)

Design Edu Today

Gary Rozanc
Assistant Professor of Graphic Design
University of Maryland

Category: Scholarship (runner-up)

Walls of Freedom: Street Art of the Egyptian Revolution

Basma Hamdy
Assistant Professor
Graphic Design Department
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar

Category: Teaching (runner-up)

Intercultural Design Collaborations in Sustainability

Kelly Murdoch-Kitt
Assistant Professor, Graphic Design
College of Imaging Arts & Sciences
Rochester Institute of Technology

Denielle J Emans
Assistant Professor
Graphic Design Department
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar

Jurors

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

Elizabeth Guffey
Professor of Art History
Purchase College, SUNY
Founding Editor of Design and Culture

Elizabeth Resnick
Professor of Graphic Design
Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Maria Rogal
Professor of Graphic Design
University of Florida

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

For details, visit the awards page at DesignIncubation.com/educator-awards/

Deadline: Submission deadline is May 30, 2016. The application form can be downloaded here.

Announcement of Awards
The awards will be announced the first week of September 2016.

 

Worry Quest: Adventure Games for Fighting Anxiety

Matthew Bambach
MFA candidate, Graphic Design
Maryland Institute College of Art

Worry Quest is an app that helps fill gaps in mental health care experienced by young adults. It uses joy and technology to combat anxiety with simple, proven, psychotherapy techniques. The app lets youth envision themselves as a hero and their anxieties as a personalized monster. From there, they can choose between three different therapy adventures to “defeat their demons,” depending on how they prefer to cope with their own anxiety. Users are directed through a rousing dialogue with their “anxiety demon” and are rewarded along the way with pleasant visuals, sounds, and animations upon completing both tactile and self-reflective activities.

Activities in the app have been conceptualized from participatory research prompts, and are backed by approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, humor and mindfulness practice. The app continues to be developed in consultation with public input, beta testers, and mental health professionals. The app blends information design, interaction design, motion design, game design, user research and cognitive science—accessible through a device that nearly every millennial uses every day. By doing so, Worry Quest will help youth contextualize negative thoughts in an empowering way that affirms psychological agency and encourages positive self-care.

This research was presented at the Design Incubation Colloquium 2.5: Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) on Saturday, March 12, 2016.

CAA Conference Session: Panel Discussion

Communication Design Scholarship: Opportunities and Approaches

Time: 02/04/2016, 12:30 PM—2:00 PM
Location: Hoover, Mezzanine Level

In collaboration with CAA Task Force on Design at the 104th Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

Chair: Dan Wong, New York City College of Technology, City University of New York

  • Mike Zender, University of Cincinnati; Visible Language
  • Elizabeth Guffey, State University of New York at Purchase; Design & Culture
  • Aaris Sherin, St. John’s University; Design Incubation
  • David Cabianca, York University

Discussant: Kathryn Weinstein, Queen’s College, City University of New York

Design programs in American colleges and universities are adding design research, contemporary practice, and publishing that demonstrates rigor and impact factor to the requirements of design educators’ scholarly activities. With these changing requirements, the need for reputable and established modes of dissemination has reached a critical mass.

From practice to theory, this panel examines research formats, forms of investigation, representation of research, venues, organizations, and publishing opportunities available to Communication Design educators and researchers. It will discuss contemporary design research approaches and formats, and note various organizations and publishing outlets accessible to educators, researchers, and practitioners of design. In conclusion, the panel will explore where practice fits within academia.

Design and Culture: Peer-Review Journals From the Inside Out

Elizabeth Guffey
Professor of Art & Design History
State University of New York at Purchase
Editor, Design & Culture

Rarely do we get a chance to see from the inside what the editorial process of peer review journals looks like. We will provide an unusual chance to see what the editorial process looks like, from the editors’ point of view, beginning with initial review of submissions through the peer review process and to final publication. We will also discuss some of the realities of publishing—including the timely pressures on editors to produce well-balanced journal issues with a variety of high-quality articles.

This research was presented at the Design Incubation Colloquium 2.3: St. John’s University on Saturday, January 16, 2016.

Design Incubation Colloquium 2.3: St. John’s University

Saturday, January 16, 2016
2:00pm – 4:30pm
St. John’s University Manhattan Campus
101 Astor PL, New York
(Local subways: 6 at Astor Place; N,R at 8th Street)

To attend: RSVP@designincubation.com. Include name, email contact, and affiliation. All are welcome.

Presentations

Design and Culture: Peer-Review Journals from the Inside Out
Elizabeth Guffey
Professor of Art & Design History
State University of New York at Purchase
Editor, Design & Culture

Self-Publishing in Higher Education: Meaning and Approach
James Pannafino
Associate Professor
Interactive and Graphic Design
Millersville University, Pennsylvania

Envisioning South Africa’s Global Struggle Against Apartheid
Steffi Duarte
Curatorial Research Assistant
Product Design & Decorative Arts Department
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Decorative Art & Design Department
Cleveland Museum of Art

The Fine Art of Persuasion: Corporate Advertising Design, Nation, and Empire in Modern Japan
Gennifer Weisenfeld
Professor
Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies
Duke University

Big Data in Interactive Web Design
Vinoad Senguttuvan
Senior Data Scientist
Metis

Attendees
  • Jen Roos, Mercy College, NY
  • Gigi Polo, Parsons
  • Dimitry Tetin, SUNY New Paltz
  • Aaron Ganci, Indiana University–Purdue
  • Meaghan Barry, Oakland University, MI
  • Anna Pinkas, BMCC
  • Janet Esquirol, BMCC
  • Liz DeLuna, St. John’s
  • Kathryn Weinstein, Queen’s College
  • Grace Moon, Queen’s College
  • Matt Ferranto, Westchester Community College
  • Kathryn Simon, Parsons
  • Lynne Foster, Pratt Institute
  • Jon Santos, Common Space Studio
  • Amye McCarther, U Texas Austin
  • Hui Xie, St. John’s
  • Scott Fowler, Chelsea High School
  • Bonnie Blake, Ramapo College
  • Dan Wong, CityTech
  • Aaris Sherin, St. John’s

Design Incubation Fellowship: January 14–16, 2016

The 2016 Design Incubation Fellowship was held January 14–16, 2016 at St. John’s University’s Manhattan campus. This year’s participants may choose to pursue one of two modes for engaging with original research projects.

2016 Design Incubation Fellows:

  • Jen Roos, Mercy College, NY
  • Gigi Polo, Parsons The New School for Design, NY
  • Gennifer Weisenfeld, Duke University, NC
  • Steffi Duarte, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, NY
  • Dimitry Tetin, State University of New York, New Paltz
  • Aaron Ganci, Indiana University–Purdue University, IN
  • Meaghan Barry, Oakland University, MI
  • Anna Pinkas, Borough of Manhattan Community College, NY
  • Janet Esquirol, Borough of Manhattan Community College, NY

Agenda

Day 1: Thursday, January 14th

9:00am–10:00am

Introduction
Dan Wong
Co-founder, Co-chair Design Incubation

11:00am-12:00pm

Book Proposals
Georgia Kennedy
Managing Editor Fairchild Books,
a division of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)
Synthesis

1:00pm–5:00pm

Writing for Journals: Workshop Session
Maggie Taft
Managing Editor, Design and Culture

Day 2: Friday January 15th

9:00am–12:00pm

Break Out Session / Working Groups

1:00pm –5:00pm

Writing Process and Feedback
Andrew Shea
Author of Design for Social Change
Principal of design studio, MANY

Structuring Scholarship
Aaris Sherin
Director of Fellowships at Design Incubation

Day 3: Saturday January 16th

9:00am–12:00pm

Presentation of Participant Work/Progress
Feedback; Wrap-up

2:00pm–4:30pm

Design Incubation Colloquium 2.3
(open to the public)

Design Criticism in Search of a Platform

Dr. Gaia Scagnetti
Assistant Professor
Graduate Communication Design
Pratt Institute

By definition criticism presents negative connotations. In philosophical terms, criticism is not an action but a method of systematic analysis of a written, oral and visual discourse. It involves merit recognition and it means a methodical practice of doubt. Design criticism has had a short life story and never reached the popularity of Architecture or Art criticism, Film or Literary criticism. Probing design work is perceived as a threat, especially in a time when liking is the expected way of supporting peers both within and outside of social networks. To like and express appreciation for the work of others is a consolidated strategy to get noticed and welcomed in a community of practice, especially among the young generation.

Support is rarely shown through critical encouragement and is mostly communicated through unconditional recommendations; endorsement is seen as a currency to be exchanged regardless of the intrinsic value of a certain production. The problem gets exacerbated by the platforms we use to contribute to disciplinary conversations: symposia, conferences, talks are now always recorded and publicly streamed. This public exposure does not support attempts to make critical analyses; streaming is an opportunity for advertising others or yourself, your connections and your relevancy. Public speeches are opportunities to create connections the so called shoutout to other projects, friends or celebrities. In a time where positivity is the currency nobody wants to practice doubt.

We can consider the process of criticism to be equivalent to making strategic decisions it is a part of how we govern ourselves. Strategies are rarely discussed out in the public, but within a dedicated environment where the social rules of conduct are made explicit and intentions are shared. Similarly, design criticism should be fostered and cultivated within purposebuilt platforms. Design criticism needs a home more than ever. Analysing, considering or dissecting design discourse is a contribution to the politics of truth and criticism is the art of not being governed quite so much.

This research was presented at the Design Incubation Colloquium 2.1: Pratt Institute, Graduate Communications Design on Saturday, October 24, 2015.

Fellowship 2016

The 2016 Design Incubation Fellowship will be held January 14–16, 2016 at St. John’s University’s Manhattan campus. This year’s participants may choose to pursue one of two modes for engaging with original research projects.

In the first scenario participants bring a manuscript, draft of an article, or a grant application to the fellowship and receive feedback from workshop mentors and other attendees.

The second option allows participants who may not have a project in progress to take part in the fellowship and benefit from the experience of the workshop mentors and the group. These applicants will choose to work on an exhibition or book review or statement of practice with the goal of publishing finished work in an academic or trade journal.

Design Incubation Fellowships are open to academics in one or more of the following areas: communication design, information design, branding, marketing, advertising, typography, web, interaction, film and video, animation, illustration, game design.

Format:

Workshops offer the opportunity for participants to share and develop ideas for research and individual writing projects while receiving constructive feedback from faculty mentors and peers in their field. Each meeting includes a short informational session or guest speaker followed by presentations of participants’ projects and structured feedback. Between sessions, Fellows will have time to execute revisions, review others participants work, and engage in discussions. Initiation of and work on collaborative projects is encouraged.

Application Process: Deadline October 15, 2015

Design Incubation is currently seeking applicants for the January 2016 workshop session. Workshops are free to participants whose applications have been accepted. Travel costs are not covered but a formal letter of acceptance will be provided so attendees can apply for travel funds from their home institutions.

The upcoming 2016 Design Incubation Fellowship Workshop will be held on January 14–16, 2016  at the Manhattan campus of St. John’s University, 51 Astor Place, New York, NY 10003

Applicants are required to provide contact information, title/current rank, name of their home institution and a 200-word biography. Candidates who will be working on projects already in progress should submit a 500-word description of the work including goals for publication/submission. Applicants interested in working on a review or statement of practice should indicate preference for one or the other. Once applicants are accepted, a workshop mentor will reach out regarding the choice of titles or exhibitions for review and with more information about statements of practice.

Send applications to submissions@designincubation.com.

Preference will be given to tenured and untenured full-time faculty currently employed by colleges or universities but adjuncts, graduate students, and independent scholars are also encouraged to apply.

Publishing Confidential

Aaris Sherin
Associate Professor of Graphic Design
St. John’s University

The author of a number of books and articles, Sherin dives into the mysterious world of design research and publishing. She will give examples of what works and what doesn’t, while highlighting ways of making the writing process productive and enjoyable.

List of Selected Books by Aaris Sherin:

This research was presented at the Design Incubation Colloquium 1.5: Rhode Island School of Design on Saturday, March 7, 2015.