Here at Design Incubation, 2020 has been a challenging yet productive and exciting year. Despite the shifts to online teaching and the need to physically distance, we have continued to connect with you via virtual presentation opportunities. Also, we have been working on new resources for design faculty.
As we plan for a fresh start in 2021 and beyond, we continue to evolve our programming, developing new resources and events to better serve design researchers and scholars. To help us with these endeavors, we are pleased to announce we are appointing two new directors to the team. Jessica Barness will join Design Incubation as the Director of Research Initiatives and Heather Snyder Quinn will take on the role of the Director of Design Futures. Please join us in welcoming Jessica and Heather to the Design Incubation Leadership Team.
Jessica Barness is an Associate Professor in the School of Visual Communication Design at Kent State University. She is both a scholar and practitioner; her work has been published in internationally recognized journals. Recently, Jessica spearheaded the development of a pair of white papers, which examine the role of peer review in design research and publishing. Jessica will continue to work with the Design Incubation Leadership Team on research-related initiatives and new programming, which will examine how design faculty can approach writing from idea through to publication.
Heather Snyder-Quinn is an Assistant Professor of Design in The College of Computing and Digital Media at DePaul University. Her work focuses on the future ethics of emerging technology, including augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things. Heather was the host of Design Incubation’s Affiliated Society meeting at the College Art Association’s 2020 annual conference inviting twelve local design organizations in Chicago to participate in a round table and Q&A. She hosted a Design Incubation Colloquium at DePaul in 2019, which coincided with Chicago Design Week. We look forward to working with Heather to produce events and content focused on emerging technologies and their role in design futures.
Tag: design research
Graphic Design Principles: A History- And Context-Based First-Year Design Textbook
Insight into the process of design innovation, influence, and interpretation
Anita Giraldo
Associate Professor
New York City College of Technology, CUNY
Patricia Childers
Adjunct Professor
New York City College of Technology, CUNY
In teaching first-year students, we find that most have definite “style” preferences. However, many have little idea about the nuances that resonate with them. While still in its development phase, research has begun into a design textbook to teach various design principles by scaffolding skills and design history to complete a series of one-semester projects. This book aims to bridge the gap between creation and context so that students can make informed design decisions.
Integral to this project is the awareness of the often-overlooked influences and lack of diversity in the cannon of graphic design. Students’ research interests will not be limited. Instead, students are encouraged to contribute to design history by introducing objects or designers that are not part of the cannon. The range of student contributions will create an overview of a specific time and place.
The projects include the development of a graphic image, a hand-drawn typographic project, and a three-dimensional or time-based media project. It culminates in the design of a tribute poster to a significant graphic or industrial designer.
The book covers many aspects and principles of graphic design. However, this is a book for a freshmen design course. The outcome is to open the door to how visual elements influence the viewer and solve problems and laying the foundation for true design thinking. With insight into the process of design innovation, influence, and interpretation, student will be better prepared to advance their design study with a better understanding of the layered process of design.
This research was presented at the Design Incubation Colloquium 7.1: Oakland University, MI on October 17, 2020.
Design Incubation Colloquium 7.1: Oakland University
A Virtual Conference October 17, 2020, 1PM EST.
Presentations will be published on the Design Incubation YouTube Channel after October 3, 2020. Virtual Conference will be held online on Saturday, October 17, 2020 at 1pm EST.
Colloquium 7.1: Oakland University (#DI2020oct) will be held online. Registration for this event below.
Hosted by Maria Smith Bohannon and the Dept of Art and Art History at Oakland University, MI. This event is open to all interested in Communication Design research.
Presentations
A Design Conversation of the Interaction between Iranian and American Visual Culture
Setareh Ghoreishi
Assistant Professor
Oakland University
Exploring Connections between Environment and Community Through Design
Danilo Bojic
Assistant Professor
Winona State University
The Machine Hand
Ryan Molloy
Professor
Eastern Michigan University
Let’s Stay Neighbors: A Case Study in Civic Engagement
Chad Reichert
Professor
College for Creative Studies, MI
Sustainable Design Thinking: Changing the Design Process
Maria Smith Bohannon
Assistant Professor
Oakland University, MI
Graphic Design Principles: A History- And Context-Based First-Year Design Textbook
Anita Giraldo
Associate Professor
New York City College of Technology, CUNY
Patricia Childers
Adjunct Professor
New York City College of Technology, CUNY
The Children of Loki: Pairing Norse Mythology With Contemporary Visuals to Create a Provocative Narrative
Jimmy Henderson
Graphic Designer
Jimmy Henderson | Design & Illustration
Core Values Matter: The Role of the People in Shaping Corporate Responsibility
Lilian Crum
Assistant Professor
Lawrence Technological University
Why Design Educators Should Embrace Collaborative (Group) Work in the Design Classroom
Abby Guido
Assistant Professor
Tyler School of Art and Architecture
Colloquium 7.2: CAA Conference 2021 Call for Submissions
109th CAA Annual Conference, Virtual.
Deadline for abstract submissions: September 16, 2020.
We invite abstract submissions on presentation topics relevant to Communication Design research. Submissions should fall into one or more of the following areas: scholarly research, case studies, creative practice, or design pedagogy. We welcome proposals on a variety of topics across the field of communication design.
Accepted researchers will be required to produce a 6-minute videotaped presentation that will be published on the Design Incubation channel. The CAA conference session will consist of a moderated discussion of those presentations.
Submit an abstract of 300 words using the Design Incubation abstract submission form found here:
https://designincubation.com/call-for-submissions/
Submissions are double-blind peer-reviewed. Reviewers’ feedback will be returned. Accepted presentation abstracts will be published on the Design Incubation website.
109th CAA Annual Conference
February 10–13, 2021
Exact date and time, to be determined. This is a virtual conference event. Presenters will follow the basic membership and fee requirements of CAA.
We are accepting abstracts for presentations now until September 16, 2020.
CFP: The Fellowship Program at Design Incubation 2021
Call for Participation: 3-day academic design writing workshop. Applications accepted September 1– December 15, 2020.
Applications accepted: September 1–December 15, 2020.
Fellowship dates: June 3–June 5, 2021.
Location: Virtual.
Target Audience: Design academics in one or more of the following areas: graphic design, information design, branding, marketing, advertising, typography, web, interaction, film and video, animation, illustration, game design. Full-time tenure track or tenured faculty are given preference but any academic may apply.
Format: All Fellows accepted into the program participate in the Fellowship Workshop as part of the overall experience. The Fellowship workshops offers participants the opportunity to share and develop ideas for research and individual writing projects while receiving constructive feedback from faculty mentors and peers in their field.
Fellows arrive with a draft of their writing and work on this specific project throughout the various sessions of the Fellowship Workshop. Each meeting includes a number of short informational sessions and a session devoted to analyzing and editing written work. The remainder of the 3-day workshop will be focused on activities which allow participants to share their projects with peers and receive 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.
For more further details visit:
The Fellowship Program at Design Incubation
To apply visit the application details and online form:
Fellowship Program format and online application process
For Frequently Asked Questions visit the FAQ page:
Fellowship Program frequently asked questions
Colloquium 7.3: Florida Atlantic University, Call for Submissions
Call for design research abstracts. Deadline: Saturday, January 9, 2021.
Submission Deadline: Saturday, January 9, 2021.
Event date: Saturday, April 10, 2021.
We invite designers—practitioners and educators—to submit abstracts of design research. This is a virtual event format.
Double-blind peer-reviewed colloquium abstracts will be published online. Please review the articles, Quick Start Guide for Writing Abstracts and Writing an Academic Research Abstract: For Communication Design Scholars prior to submitting.
Accepted presentations will be videotaped by the researchers and published online on the Design Incubation channel which are due by March 27, 2021. A moderated discussion will be held virtually on April 10, 2021. We encourage all attendees to watch the videos in advance of the moderated discussion. This event is open to all interested in Communication Design research.
Hosted by Camila Afanador-Llach, Assistant Professor + Graduate Coordinator, Graphic Design in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters at Florida Atlantic University
Presentations format is Pecha Kucha.
For more details, see the colloquia details and description. Abstracts can be submitted online for peer review.
Design Incubation Writing Groups
Two groups, based on scheduling preferences and project type, are open to academics, researchers, and writers working in the field of communication design.
Design Incubation is pleased to announce a Writing Group program for the 2020–21 academic year.
Scholarly writing is an integral part of many design faculty’s research agenda. As designers and writers, we know it can be daunting to sit down in front of a blank screen. Participating in a writing group provides structure, support and feedback. It’s also a way to build accountability into your writing practice.
For a writing group to work, it requires a serious, regular commitment from each member. For this inaugural program, Design Incubation will assemble two groups based on scheduling preferences and project type. Details on the structure and varying levels of commitment for each of the two groups are outlined below. Groups are open to academics, researchers, and writers working in the field of communication design. We will give preference to full-time faculty. (At this time we are not accepting graduate students.) The cost is $55 for the year. Ten spots are available for the 2020/21 academic year.
Each group will have a participant who is the designated Coordinator, responsible for light administrative work, including scheduling meetings; maintaining group accountability goals; and communicating with the Writing Group program DI Chairs to provide updates on group progress and ongoing feedback on the program. Design Incubation will recognize the Coordinators on their website and the position can be used to demonstrate service to an organization at a national level.
Applications will be considered immediately upon submission and they can be submitted through August 5th, 2020 (Due to an overwhelming response, we have closed applications early). Design Incubation will provide official letters of acceptance to allow attendees to request funding from their institutions.
2020–21 Pilot Launch Groups
Each group will set a regular day and time to meet throughout the semester. A fixed meeting time reinforces the notion that your writing practice takes priority and promotes accountability.
Weekly Writing Accountability
Best for: Faculty, writers, or researchers looking for accountability to establish a writing practice.
Description: The weekly accountability Writing Group will provide a support network for establishing a regular writing practice and help group members set and achieve goals related to writing and/or research. In addition to participating in weekly video conference meetings, members will be responsible for presenting a writing/research plan, maintaining a writing log, and completing readings related to writing.
1-hour video conference call every week from August 2020–May 2021
Responsibilities:
- Create a research/writing plan that details your project(s) and timeline(s)
- Maintain a writing log including dates, times, and activity
- Complete group-related assignments that may include readings, podcast episodes, or writing exercises
Bi-Weekly Writing Accountability
Best for: Faculty, writers, or researchers looking for accountability to establish a writing practice but who cannot accommodate weekly meetings.
Description: The bi-weekly accountability Writing Group will provide a support network for establishing a regular writing practice and help group members set and achieve goals related to writing and/or research. In addition to participating in bi-weekly video conference meetings, members will be responsible for presenting a writing/research plan, maintaining a writing log, and completing readings related to writing.
1-hour video conference call every other week from August 2020–May 2021
Responsibilities:
- Create a research/writing plan that details your project(s) and timeline(s)
- Maintain a writing log including dates, times, and activity
- Complete group-related assignments that may include readings, podcast episodes, or writing exercises
Proviso: If you don’t show up for three meetings in a row, you may be dropped from the group.
The 2020 Design Incubation Communication Design Awards
2020 Design Incubation Educators Awards competition in 4 categories: Creative Work, Published Research, Teaching, Service
Congratulation to the recipients of the 2020 Communication Design Awards!
Scholarship: Creative Works Awards
Winner: Cradlr: A Design Project for Refugee Children
Jing Zhou
Associate Professor
Department of Art and Design
Monmouth University
Runner-up: afFEMation.com
Jane Connory
Lecturer
Art, Design & Architecture
Swinburne University of Technology and Monash University
Scholarship: Published Research
None awarded
Service Award
Winner: Diseño y diáspora podcast
Mariana Salgado
Service Designer/ Lecturer
Ministry of the Interior in Finland
Andrés Fechtenholz
Julian Pereyra
Antonio Zimmermann
Mercedes Salgado
Runner-up: AIGA Design Educators Community SHIFT 2020 Virtual Summit
Alison Place
Assistant Professor
University of Arkansas
Liese Zahabi
Assistant Professor
University of New Hampshire
Alberto Rigau
Estudio Interlínea
Teaching Award
Winner: If This is Theory, Why Isn’t It Boring? Connecting traditional text[book]s to real-life contexts with Augmented Reality
Deborah Littlejohn
Associate Professor
College of Design
North Carolina State University
Special Award – joint winners
Jury Commendation for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Scholarship: Creative Works: Expanding the Canon:
Jane Connory
Service: Expanding the Canon:
Mariana Salgado
Graduate Student Awards
None awarded
ABOUT THE 2020 JURY
Gail Anderson is an NYC-based designer, educator, and writer. She is Chair of BFA Design and BFA Advertising at the School of Visual Arts, and the creative director at Visual Arts Press. Anderson has served as a senior art director at Rolling Stone, creative director of design at SpotCo, and as a designer at The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine and Vintage Books. She has taught at SVA for close to thirty years and has co-authored 15 books on design, typography, and illustration with the fabulous Steven Heller. Anderson serves on the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee for the US Postal Service and the advisory board of Poster House. She is an AIGA Medalist and the 2018 recipient of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Lifetime Achievement Award for Design. Her work is represented in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress, the Milton Glaser Design Archives, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Fatima Cassim, Ph.D., heads the Information Design division in the Department of Visual Arts at the University Pretoria, South Africa. In 2012, she received a Harvard South African Fellowship for a research residency at Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on the culture of design; in particular, she is interested in design activism and the possible impact it may have on design citizenship. Dr. Cassim is the co-editor of the accredited Image & Text journal and the Director of Education on the board of directors for Open Design, a South African NGO that uses and promotes design to innovate, educate and build resilient communities.
Denise Gonzales Crisp is a Professor of Graphic Design and Director of Graduate Programs for Graphic Design at North Carolina State University College of Design. She is the author of Graphic Design in Context: Typography (Thames & Hudson, 2011). Her juried and commissioned essays have been published in Design and Culture Journal, Design Observer, Design Research, The Design Dictionary, and other notable anthologies. Gonzales Crisp is a contributing editorial board member for Design and Culture Journal. A member of the graphic design professional organization American Institute of Graphic Arts since 1989, she has served on the Los Angeles chapter’s advisory board.
Paul J. Nini is a Professor and past Chairperson in the Department of Design at The Ohio State University, where he has also acted as Graduate Studies Chair and Coordinator of the Visual Communication Design undergraduate program. His professional service activities have included: board member of the Graphic Design Education Association; member of AIGA’s Design Educators Community steering committee; editorial board member for the ico-D journal Communication Design: Interdisciplinary and Graphic Design Research; and advisory board member for AIGA’s Dialectic journal. A collection of his academic writing can be found at – https://medium.com/@pjn123.
Maria Rogal is a Professor of Graphic Design and leads the new Design & Visual Communications MFA at the University of Florida. She is the founder of D4D Lab, an award-winning initiative to co-design with indigenous entrepreneurs and subject matter experts to generate sustainable local outcomes supporting self-determination. She has lectured and published about social and co-design, recently co-authoring “CoDesigning for Development,” which appears in The Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Design. Her research has been funded by AIGA, Sappi, and Fulbright programs, among others, and her creative design work has been featured in national and international juried exhibitions.
Teal Triggs, Ph.D., (Chair) is a Professor of Graphic Design and leads on the MPhil/Ph.D. programme in the School of Communication, Royal College of Art, London. As a graphic design historian, researcher and educator she lectures and broadcasts widely and her writings have appeared in numerous international design publications and edited books. Her recent books include: co-editor of The Graphic Design Reader (Bloomsbury), author of Fanzines (Thames & Hudson), and The School of Art (Wide Eyed) which was shortlisted for the ALCS 2016 Educational Writer’s Award. She is a Fellow of the Design Research Society, International Society of Typographic Designers and the Royal Society of Arts.
Design Incubation announces a call for nominations and entries for the 2020 awards for communication design educators and graduate students in the areas of scholarship, teaching, service. The aim of the awards program is to discover and recognize new scholarship (creative work and publications), teaching, and service in our broad and varied discipline. We hope to expand the design record, promote excellence and share knowledge within the field.
This year, the jury also will be considering commendations for work covering the area of diversity, equity, access, and inclusion in communication design. We encourage submissions of work that relate to these areas for consideration.
Nominations
We kindly ask colleagues and mentors to identify outstanding creative work, publications, teaching, and service being done by design educators and graduate students in our field and to nominate these individuals for an award. Nominations will be accepted from April 15 to July 31, 2020.
Entry Guidelines
Entries will be accepted from June 1–August 31, 2020. Complete the online entry form with the following:
- Title: Description of project and outcomes (not to exceed 500 words)
- Supporting Materials (limited to 5-page medium resolution pdf of artwork; web links to websites, videos, other online resources; published documents or visual documents)
- Bio of applicant/s (150 words per applicant)
- Curriculum vitae of applicant/s
New Initiative for the 2020 Design Incubation Awards: Graduate Student Work
Beginning this year, Design Incubation is accepting entries in a new juried area of Graduate Student Work. The future of communication design education begins with the work of future faculty and researchers in the field of Communication Design. Recognition of graduate student work will be grouped and reviewed in the categories of scholarship, creative projects, and service. Graduate students currently enrolled in graduate design programs are invited to submit scholarship, creative projects, and service projects they completed during graduate study or up to one year after graduation.
Design Incubation Colloquium 6.3: Fordham University is moving Online!
Design Incubation Colloquium 6.3: Fordham University (#DI2020mar)
Virtual Conference May 16, 2020, 1PM EST.
Like all of you, Design Incubation is busy adapting to working from home and online. Please join us for our first Virtual Colloquium!
Learn about the research, creative projects and innovative teaching practices colleagues from around the country are working on. Join the moderated discussion and give the presenters feedback on their projects.
How it works:
- Register for the event (yes it’s FREE!).
- Watch the 10 pre-recorded presentations before the event, when it’s convenient for you.
- Join the moderated discussion and Q&A session via Zoom on Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 1pm EST (10am PST.)
We are working to find ways for faculty to continue to publish, present, and receive feedback on their research. This is our pilot program and we hope you will stay connected to the Design Incubation community as we continue to develop additional virtual programming over the summer.
Design Incubation Colloquium 6.3: Fordham University was originally scheduled to be held at Fordham University is Hosted by Abby Goldstein and the Department of Theatre and Visual Arts at Fordham University. This event is open to all interested in Communication Design research.
Design Incubation Fellowship 2020
Thursday, June 4 – Saturday June 6, 2020.
A three-day virtual workshop facilitating academic writing and publishing for designers.
The 2020 Design Incubation Fellowship Workshop will include sessions by Maggie Taft, Founding Director of the Haddon Avenue Writing Institute; Jilly Traganou, PhD, Editor of Design and Culture; Louise Baird-Smith, Commissioning Editor – Design and Photography Bloomsbury Visual Arts; Robin Landa, Distinguished Professor, Kean University; and Andrew Shea, author of Designing for Social Change: Strategies for Community-Based Design. Aaris Sherin is director of the Design Incubation Fellowship program.
Fellows 2020
Erin Beckloff
Assistant Professor
Miami University Ohio
Diana Duque
Independent researcher, Writer, Designer
MA Design Studies
Xinyi Li
Assistant Professor
Pratt Institute
Andrea Marks
Professor
Oregon State University
Sarah Martin
Assistant Professor
Indiana University
Kimmie Parker
Assistant Professor
Oakland University
Ali Place
Assistant Professor
University of Arkansas
Sarah Rutherford
Assistant Professor
Cleveland State University
Ruth Schmidt
Associate Professor
Institute of Design
Illinois Institute Technology
Johnathon Strube
Assistant Professor
University of Nebraska Omaha
Augusta Toppins
Associate Professor
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Kelly Walters
Assistant Professor
Parsons School of Design, The New School
Derek Witucki
Lecturer
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Schedule
Day 1
Thursday, June 4, 2020
| 10:00am–11:00am | Introductions + icebreaker |
| 11:00am–12:00am | Exercise: What, why and how we write |
| 12:00am–12:20pm | Mini Break |
| 12:20pm–1:30pm | Presentation: Where writing meets publishing Aaris Sherin |
| 1:30pm–2:30pm | Lunch on your own |
| 2:30pm-6:00pm | Workshop: Editing and providing feedback Maggie Taft |
Day 2
Friday June 5, 2020
| 10:00am–11:00am | Live Q&A: Submitting a Book Proposal/Manuscript Louise Baird-Smith Commissioning Editor – Design and Photography Bloomsbury Visual Arts |
| 11:00am–1:30pm | Group Exercise: Review and Feedback: Working drafts |
| 1:30pm–2:30pm | Lunch and Learn: (optional) Tenure and promotion discussion |
| 2:30pm–3:30pm | Presentation: The writing process, feedback and being a creative maker Andrew Shea |
| 3:30pm–4:30pm | Live Q&A: Submitting a Journal Article Jilly Traganou, PhD Editors of Design and Culture |
| 4:30pm–4:45pm | Mini Break |
| 54:45pm –6:30pm | Group Exercise: Review and Feedback: Working drafts |
Day 3
Saturday, June 6, 2020
| 10:00am–11:00am | Presentation: A Life in Writing: Contracts, Agents and monetary consideration Robin Landa Distinguished Professor Kean University Author over twenty books |
| 11:00am–1:30pm | Group Exercise: Timelines and next steps |
| 1:30pm–2:30pm | Lunch on your own |
| 2:30pm–3:30pm | Live Q&A with past DI Fellows |
| 4:00pm–5:00pm | Group Exercise: Creating a plan for peer support |
| 5:00pm–6:00pm | Sharing Session / Wrap Up |
Please note: This schedule is tentative and is subject to change