CFP: 2026 Design Incubation Communication Design Educators Awards

Call for Nominations and Entries for the 2026 Communication Design Educators Awards Competition.

Design Incubation announces a call for nominations and/or entries for the 2026 Design Incubation Communication Design Educators Awards in the areas of scholarship: creative work, scholarship: publication, teaching, or service. The goal of the awards program is to discover and recognize new scholarship executed in the past two (2) years. We hope to expand the design record, promote excellence, and share knowledge within the field.

We are excited to announce Professors Michael Gibson and Keith Owens, The University of North Texas, as the incoming Directors of the Communication Design Educators Awards. We would like to thank Steven McCarthy, Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota Twin Cities for launching and directing this initiative since its inception in 2016. We would also like to thank all the previous chairs of this competition.

Nominations are not required to enter. Researchers can enter their own work for consideration by our esteemed jury. Submission deadline: December 31, 2026.

Jury 2026

Nominations and Entries

We encourage colleagues, mentors, supervisors, clients, and editors to identify outstanding creative work, publications, teaching, or service by design educators in the field communication design. Nominate researchers for an award using the nomination form. (There is no fee to nominate.)

Researchers can enter their own work directly by completing the entry form below.

Call for Abstract Submissions, Colloquium 13.3: University of Connecticut

Digital Media & Design
University of Connecticut
In-Person Format

Submission Deadline: Friday, October 30, 2026.

Host: Ting Zhou and Dr. Xi Zhang
Digital Media & Design Dept.
School of Fine Arts
University of Connecticut

Event date: Friday, March 5, 2027.
Submission deadline: Friday, October 30, 2026.

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.

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. Accepted presentation abstracts will be published on the Design Incubation website.

Accepted researchers will be required to produce a 6-minute videotaped presentation that will be published on the Design Incubation channel.

The sessions will include 6-minute PechaKucha presentations by each researcher, followed by moderated group discussions.

Colloquium 13.2: CAA Conference 2027 Call for Abstract Submissions

115th CAA Annual Conference, New York, NY.
In Person Format.

Submission Deadline: August 31, 2026.

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.

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.

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 6-minute presentations and a moderated discussion.

The session will involve a 6-minute presentation from each accepted submission researcher, followed by a moderated group discussion.

115th CAA Annual Conference: In Person
New York Hilton
1335 6th Ave
New York, NY 10019
February 3–6, 2027

Presentations and Moderated Discussion.

Presenters will follow the basic membership and fee requirements of CAA.

We are accepting abstracts for presentations now until August 31, 2026.

Design Incubation Colloquium 12.3: Virtual Summer

Event date: Friday, June 26, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm EST
Format: Virtual/Online

Event date: Friday, June 26, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm EST
Format: Virtual/Online

Moderators

Cat Normoyle
Director of Peer Reviews, Design Incubation
Associate Professor
East Carolina University

Dina Benbrahim
Associate Professor of Graphic Design
University of Connecticut

Presentations

Design, Identity, and Social Contexts

This session brings together projects that explore how design engages with identity, lived experience, and social context. The work examines how design can support care, representation, and belonging, while addressing complex cultural, political, and community-based issues.

Care-Stories: Demystifying Women’s Reproductive Health

Holly Strickland
Assistant Professor
Middle Tennessee State University

Illustrating Feminist and Queer ‘South Asian-ness’ in British Print Material from 1980s–90s

Shreyas R. Krishnan
Assistant Professor
Washington University in St. Louis

Fragment to Coherence: Designing Belonging through Position

Narges Sedaghat
Graduate student
East Carolina University

Designing Facilitated Experiences for Early Adolescents: Supporting Psychological Capital and Educational Access in Refugee Contexts

Hanna Ji
Graduate student
Master of Design Program
University of Arkansas

Moderated Discussion

Design Pedagogy, Process, and Systems

This session focuses on how design is taught, structured, and practiced across different contexts. The presentations explore pedagogical approaches, process-driven methods, and emerging tools, highlighting how designers build frameworks that shape learning, research, and professional practice.

The Shift Deck: Pragmatic Design Pedagogy Interventions for Climate Resilience

Cindy Raspiller
Lecturer
San Jose State University

A Global Approach to Typography: Introducing Multilingual Scripts in Beginning Design Courses

Anna Jordan
Assistant Professor
Rochester Institute of Technology

Aisha Al Nouri, Jatin Joshi, Unika Dhakhwa
M.F.A. candidates

Rochester Institute of Technology

Relational Construction in Graphic Design: ALT as Process-Driven Practice

Niharika Yellamraju
Adjunct Professor
Boston University
University of Connecticut

Nudged by Design: AI Features and Researcher Agency in Everyday Research Tools

Borami Kang
Graduate student
MFA Candidate in Design Research and Development
The Department of Design
The Ohio State University

Moderated Discussion

Round Table Discussion

Closing Remarks

New Director of Design History and Theory

Welcoming Dr. Leslie Atzmon as Director of Design History and Theory

Starting this January 2026, we welcome Dr. Leslie Atzmon as Director of Design History and Theory. Atzmon has been participating with our team for several months. She is currently on the jury of the 2025 Design Incubation Educators Awards, as well as other initiatives we have under development.

Leslie Atzmon is a designer and design historian who teaches at Eastern Michigan University. She co-edited the collections Encountering Things: Design and Theories of Things (Bloomsbury 2017) and The Graphic Design Reader (Bloomsbury 2019). Atzmon and colleague Ryan Molloy were awarded a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) ArtWorks grant from 2012-2014 to support experimental book design workshops and the creation and production of The Open Book Project book. Atzmon has a new collection, entitled Visual Ecologies of Placemaking, edited with Pamela Stewart (forthcoming Bloomsbury 2026).

Atzmon’s current work mainly investigates the intersections between design and science, with a focus on biodesign. In 2016, Atzmon was a Fulbright fellow at Central Saint Martins UAL, UK doing research on Darwin and design thinking. This led to the essay, “Intelligible Design: The Origin and Visualization of Species,” in the journal Communication Design (2016). In 2019/2020, she curated the exhibition Design and Science, which ran at Eastern Michigan’s University Gallery and The Esther Klein Gallery/Science Center in Philadelphia. She also edited a related collection entitled Design and Science (Bloomsbury 2023). Atzmon is currently working on a biodesign textbook, entitled Biodesign in Context (forthcoming Lived Spaces 2027), with Professor Diana Nicholas of Drexel University.

Welcome to the team, Leslie!

Design Incubation Colloquium 12.2: Annual CAA Conference 2026 (In-person only)

Presentations and discussion in Research and Scholarship in Communication Design at the 114th Annual CAA Conference 2026

Thursday, February 19, 2026
4:30PM – 6:00PM CST
Hilton Chicago – Lower Level
Salon C-6

Recent research in Communication Design. Presentations of unique, significant creative work, design education, practice of design, case studies, contemporary practice, new technologies, methods, and design research. A moderated discussion will follow the series of presentations.

The colloquium session is open to all conference attendees. Be sure to watch the online video presentations before attending this event.

CHAIRS

Cat Normoyle
East Carolina University

Heather Snyder Quinn
DePaul University

Camila Afanador-Llach
Florida Atlantic University

Discussants

Anne Hostetler Berry
University of Illinois Chicago


Jessica Meharry
DePaul University

PRESENTATIONS

The Significant Others: Women’s Contributions to the Private Press Movement
Maria Smith Bohannon
Associate Professor
Oakland University

m(other)ing: Creating Design Research Space for Work on Parenting and Reproductive Journeys
Meaghan Dee
Associate Professor
Virginia Tech

Bree McMahon
Associate Professor
University of Arkansas

The Empathy Points Method: Integrating Identity and Bias Recognition Into Design Education
Andrea Hempstead
Associate Professor
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Shearing Layers: A Framework for Reframing Contemporary Graphic Design Education
Jarrett Fuller
Assistant Professor
NC State University

Typographic Thresholds: Addressing Climate Urgency
Megan Irwin
Assistant Professor
Washington University in St. Louis

Invisible Nightlife Review: Teaching Fiction as Design Practice
Nika Simovich Fisher
Assistant Professor
Parsons / The New School for Design

Backward by Design: Reframing AI Literacy through Systems Thinking and Critique Pedagogy
Lingyi Kong
Adjunct Professor
Parsons School of Design

Design Incubation Colloquium 12.1: Virtual: Online

Friday, November 14, 2025
11:00AM – 12:30PM EDT
Online (ZOOM)

Recent research in Communication Design. Presentations of unique, significant creative work, design education, practice of design, case studies, contemporary practice, new technologies, methods, and design research. A moderated discussion will follow the series of presentations.

Friday, November 14, 2025
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM EDT
Online

Moderator

Cat Normoyle
East Carolina University

PRESENTATIONS

Women Graphic Designers: Rebalancing the Canon
Elizabeth Resnick
Professor Emerita
Massachusetts College of Art and Design

The Keywork: Using AI for Insight, Not Replacement, in Creative Practice
RJ Thompson
Associate Professor

University of Pittsburg

Make, Print, Share: Fold, Print, Share: Collective Learning Through Risograph Printing
Kyla Paolucci
Assistant Professor

St. John’s University

Vic Rodriguez Tang
Assistant Professor
Texas State University

From Denim Wars to AI: Rethinking Fashion Advertising in the Classroom
Summer Doll-Myers
Associate Professor

Kutztown University

Born Digital: Fresh Attempts around Typography Courses for Students Today
Jialun Wang
Assistant Professor
Otis College of Art and Design

Eager Zhang
Assistant Professor
Otis College of Art and Design

Mis/Understanding: Reframing Language Barriers and Miscommunication Through Interactive Design
Najmeh Pirahmadian
Graduate student
Ohio University

Design Incubation Colloquium 11.3: Virtual Summer

Friday, June 20, 2025
11:00AM – 12:30PM EDT
Online (ZOOM)

Recent research in Communication Design. Presentations of unique, significant creative work, design education, practice of design, case studies, contemporary practice, new technologies, methods, and design research. A moderated discussion will follow the series of presentations.

Friday, June 20, 2025
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM EDT
Online

Moderator

Cat Normoyle
East Carolina University

PRESENTATIONS

Resonant Pages: Artist Books, Natural Rhythms, and Digital Interactivity
Lingyi Kong
Adjunct Professor
Parsons School of Design, The New School

Inclusive Characters: Merging Aesthetics and Accessibility in Type Design
Katie Krcmarik
Assistant Professor
Illinois State University

Typography of the Transreal: N.H. Pritchard’s The Mundus
Andrew Shurtz
Assistant Professor 
Louisiana State University

Creative Computation in the Age of AI: Reimagining the Boundary of Human Creativity
Bei Hu 
Assistant Professor 
Washington University in St. Louis

From Designer to Design Facilitator: Turning Studios into Dewey-Inspired Learning Labs 
Michael Berrell
Assistant Professor 
SUNY Farmingdale

Type as Cultural Bridge: An Interactive Fusion of Iranian and American Design
Narges Sedaghat
Graduate student
East Carolina University

Design Incubation Colloquium 11.2: Annual CAA Conference 2025 (Hybrid)

Presentations and discussion in Research and Scholarship in Communication Design at the 113th Annual CAA Conference 2025

Recent research in Communication Design. Presentations of unique, significant creative work, design education, practice of design, case studies, contemporary practice, new technologies, methods, and design research. A moderated discussion will follow the series of presentations.

The colloquium session is open to all conference attendees. Be sure to watch the online video presentations before attending this event.

Friday, February 14, 2025
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
New York Hilton Midtown – 2nd Floor – Sutton North

CHAIRS

Camila Afanador-Llach
Florida Atlantic University

Heather Snyder Quinn
DePaul University

Discussants

Jessica Barness
Kent State University

Cat Normoyle
East Carolina University

Dan Wong
New York City College of Technology, CUNY

PRESENTATIONS

Design History Data: A Snapshot of US-based Undergraduate Programs
Aggie Toppins
Associate Professor
Washington University in St. Louis

Editorial Infographics: Bridging the Gap Between Complexity and Clarity in Design Education
Teresa Trevino
Professor
University of the Incarnate Word

The Bayou at y.our Doorstep: Integrating Environmental Education in Graphic Design
Natacha Poggio
Associate Professor
University of Houston Downtown

Collaborative Creativity and Digital Identity: Reimagining Authorship in the Digital Age
Feixue Mei
Assistant Professor
James Madison University

Designing Inclusive Engagements in Neighborhood Design Projects
D.J. Trischler
Assistant Professor
University of Cincinnati

Service Design for Digital Tours: The Rixing Type Foundry Case
Ting Han Chen
Adjunct Associate Professor Rank Specialist
Yuan-Ze University, Taiwan

Enhancing Design Education: Students Skill Development through Technology in Blended Learning Environments
Danilo Bojić
Associate Professor
Winona State University

Accessibility and Creative Authorship in Design Theory Through Multimodal Learning and Metacognitive Reflection

A course that engaged a cohort of international first-semester masters students in complex theoretical concepts encouraging self-reflection and creative authorship.

Molly Haig, Lecturer & Dr. Till Julian Huss, Professor
University of Europe for the Applied Sciences
Berlin, Germany

The study of media ecology offers design students vital insights into our culture, but like any detailed framework of ideas, these should be approached with precision, care, and scaffolding. Ecological thinking engages with the interconnectedness of complex systems, from the environment to technology and culture (Hörl 2017). Using ecological thinking as a conceptual entry point and typography as a visual one, we built a course that effectively engaged a cohort of international first-semester masters students in complex theoretical concepts by encouraging self-reflection and creative authorship.

The theoretical branch of the course involves lectures and discussions, engaging with theories of media ecology from their early anticipations (Kiesler 1939) to their defining approaches (McLuhan 1967, Strate 2017). Design is understood through the environment, or as transformation of lived environments (i.e. the Future Ecologies series ed. Löffler, Mareis, & Sprenger since 2021, and in a historical perspective Busbea 2020). Gibson’s (1979) concept of affordances, which Don Norman (2013) translated to a key principle for user-centric design, offers a bridge to design practice, and the theory of metaphors is introduced as a foundational mode of creative thinking.

The practical branch of the course frames typography and publication as tools for conceptual analysis, integrating excerpts from the theoretical texts into increasingly complex visual assignments. Students also keep a scrappy physical journal or “commonplace book” with 30 entries, each linking an in-class idea to an external one. Each student’s final publication is an “autobiographical user manual” guiding the “user” through the course based on the student’s subjective experience.

Student work revealed unique representations of theoretical content and strong metaphorical thinking, and many projects were reflective of students’ fresh experiences of a new environment during their first semester in a foreign country. Publications ranged from a hand-bound dictionary of terms, to ChatGPT’s “diary,” to directions through a distorted Berlin, to thirty existential questions posed by a whimsical humanoid peach. We heard from many students who found the course structure engaging and welcoming.

Our theoretical/practical approach is supported by an abundance of research on the educational benefits of multimodal learning, or engaging with more than one “mode” of accessing information (i.e. Moreno & Mayer 2007, Serafini 2015) especially when studying in a second language (Yi & Choi 2015), as well as metacognitive reflection (understanding one’s own understanding of a topic, i.e. Cummings 2015).

Our course offers an example of how explorations of ecological thinking and typography can support each other, but more broadly how collaborations across disciplines can be mutually beneficial, and increase the accessibility of both.

This design research is presented at Design Incubation Colloquium 11.1: Boston University on Friday, October 25, 2024.