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. 

Design Incubation Fellowship 2019

January 10-12, 2019. New York City. A three-day workshop facilitating academic writing and publishing for designers.

The 2019 Design Incubation Fellowship Workshop will be presented by Maggie Taft, Managing Editor of the journal Design and Culture. Events 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; Louise Baird-Smith, Commissioning Editor – Design and Photography Bloomsbury Visual Arts; Robin Landa, Distinguished Professor, Kean University; and Brian James, Assistant Professor St. John’s University and as well as guest appearances by a number of authors and publishers. Aaris Sherin is director of the Design Incubation Fellowship program.

2019 Design Incubation Fellowship

January 10 –12, 2019
St. John’s University’s Manhattan campus

Schedule

Day 1—Thursday, January 10th

Introductions with Hosts
9:30am–10:00am

Dan Wong, Co-founder of Design Incubation and Liz DeLuna, Co-chair Design Incubation.

What, Why and How We Write
10am–12:30am
Lunch break
12:30pm–1:30pm
Writing for Journals: Workshop Session
1:30pm–5:30pm

Maggie Taft
Reviews Editor and former Managing Editor
Design and Culture

Day 2—Friday, January 11th

Book Publishing with Bloomsbury Publishing
9:15am–10:00am 

Louise Baird-Smith
Commissioning Editor – Design and Photography Bloomsbury Visual Arts

Break Out Session / Working Groups
10:00am–12:30pm

Facilitated by Maggie Taft, Robin Landa, and Elizabeth Guffey. Participants will work on drafts of their writing in small groups.

Lunch break
12:30pm–1:30pm
Reviews Writing
1:30pm –2:30pm

Brian James
Assistant Professor
St. John’s University

Break Out Session / Working Groups
2:30pm –5:30pm 

Facilitated by Maggie Taft, Robin Landa, and Elizabeth Guffey

Day 3—Saturday January 12th

Break Out Session / Working Groups
9:00am–12:30pm 

Facilitated by Maggie Taft, Robin Landa and Elizabeth Guffey.

Lunch break
12:30pm–1:30pm
Presentations
1:30pm–2:30pm

Robin Landa
Distinguished Professor
Kean University
Author of over twenty books including Nimble: Creative Thinking in the Digital Age.

Elizabeth Guffey
Professor State University of New York
(SUNY) at Purchase
Author of Posters: A Global Perspective, and Retro: The Culture of Revival and founding editor of Design and Culture.

Sharing Session / Wrap Up
3:00pm–5:00pm
Group Dinner (Optional)
6:00pm–8:00pm

Please note: This schedule is tentative and is subject to change.

2019 Design Incubation Fellows

Noopur Agarwal
Assistant Professor
The University of San Francisco

Leon Butler
Lecturer
Dublin Institute of Technology

Anneke Coppoolse
Assistant Professor
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Jeanne Criscola
Assistant Professor
Central Connecticut State University

Juan Carlos Rodriguez Rivera
Visiting Faculty
California College of the Arts

Rezan Gassas
Assistant Professor
Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University

Dave Gottwald
Assistant Professor
University of Idaho

Lisa Hammershaimb
Curriculum Designer, Full Time Instructor
Independence University

Christine Hauck
Design Director and Independent Arts Educator

Szilvia Kadas
Assistant Professor
SUNY Cortland

Amy Papaelias
Associate Professor
SUNY New Paltz

Kathy Mueller
Assistant Professor 
Temple University 

Kelly Murdoch-Kitt
Assistant Professor
University of Michigan

Holly Tienken
Assistant Professor
Kutztown University

Greg Turner-Rahman
Associate Professor
University of Idaho

Local Lunch and Coffee Spots

Starbucks
13-25 Astor Pl, New York, NY 10003

Pret A Manger
1 Astor Pl, New York, NY 10003

Le Petite Parisien – Sandwiches / Baguettes
32 E 7th St
New York, NY 10003

Mamoun’s Falafel – Middle Eastern
30 St Marks Pl
New York, NY 10003

V-Spot – Vegan / with Gluten Free options
12 Saint Marks Pl
New York, NY 10003

Bluestone Lane (coffee shop)
51 Astor Pl, New York, NY 10003
(just downstairs in the same building as SJU)

Chopt Creative Salad Co.
51 Astor Pl, New York, NY 10003
(just downstairs in the same building as SJU)

Many tasty Ramen and Sushi places on St. Marks between 2nd and 3rd Ave.

Design Incubation Fellowship 2018: Call for Applications

Design Incubation is currently accepting applications for the January 2018 Fellowship and Workshop Sessions. The application deadline is September 1, 2017.

Application Process

Design Incubation welcomes online applications for the January 2018 Fellowship and Workshop Session. Applications are being accepted June 1, 2017–September 1, 2017.

The upcoming 2018 Design Incubation Fellowship will be held January 11–13, 2018 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, institutional affiliation, a CV, and a 200-word biography. Candidates also need to indicate for which of the 2 tracks they are applying. (see Fellowship Program Format.)

Preference will be given to full-time faculty currently employed by accredited colleges or universities. Adjuncts and independent scholars are also encouraged to apply.

There is no fee to apply for the Design Incubation Fellowship. However upon acceptance there is a $200 fee for the 3-day workshop and all Fellows must be available to participate in person at the Design Incubation Fellowship workshops. A formal letter of acceptance will be provided so attendees can apply for travel funds from their home institutions and pay the workshop fee to reserve their place.

FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FORMAT

Design Incubation Fellows commit to working on a research project for six months. The Fellowship begins with a three-day workshop (see below) where participants learn about different modes of publishing and writing strategies. During the six months following the Workshop, Fellows pledge to continue to work on their projects during which time they receive feedback and group checkin’s. The 2018 Design Incubation Fellowship Workshop will take place at St. John’s University’s Manhattan Campus on January 11-13, 2018. All Fellows are required to participate in the Fellowship Workshop.

Design Incubation Fellowship 2018

January 11–13, 2018. New York City. A three-day workshop facilitating academic writing and publishing for designers.

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.

Applications accepted: June 1, 2017 – September 1, 2017. Visit the Fellowship Application page for details to apply.

2017 Design Incubation Fellowship
January 11 –13, 2018
St. John’s University’s Manhattan campus

PROGRAM AGENDA 

The 2018 Design Incubation Fellowship Workshop will include sessions with 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.)

Day 1

Thursday, January 11th

Introductions with Hosts
9:00am–12:30pm

Dan Wong, Co-founder of Design Incubation
Liz Deluna, Co-chair Design Incubation
Robin Landa, Co-Chair Design Incubation

Structuring Scholarship

Aaris Sherin
Director of Fellowships at Design Incubation

Lunch break (see recommendations)
12:30pm–1:30pm
Writing for Journals: Workshop Session
1:30pm–5:30pm

Maggie Taft
Managing Editor, Design and Culture

Day 2

Friday January 12th

Book Publishing with Bloomsbury Publishing
9:15am–10:00am

Louise Baird-Smith
Commissioning Editor – Design and Photography Bloomsbury Visual Arts

Break Out Session / Working Groups
10:00am–12:30pm

Facilitated by Maggie Taft, Robin Landa, Aaris Sherin, and Elizabeth Guffey. Participants will work on drafts of their writing in small groups.

Lunch break
12:30pm–1:30pm (see recommendations)
Writing Process and Feedback
1:30pm –2:30pm

Andrew Shea
Author of Design for Social Change
Principal of design studio, MANY

Break Out Session / Working Groups
2:30pm –5:30pm

Facilitated by Maggie Taft, Robin Landa, Aaris Sherin and Elizabeth Guffey

Day 3

Saturday January 13th

Break Out Session / Working Groups
9:00am–12:30pm

Facilitated by Maggie Taft, Robin Landa, Aaris Sherin, and Elizabeth Guffey

Lunch break
12:30pm–1:30pm (see recommendations)
Presentations
1:30pm–2:30pm

Robin Landa
Distinguished Professor Kean University
Author over twenty books including
Nimble: Creative Thinking in the Digital Age

Elizabeth Guffey
Professor State University of New York
(SUNY) at Purchase
Author of Posters: A Global Perspective, and Retro: The Culture of Revival Founding Editor of Design and Culture

Sharing Session / Wrap Up
3:00pm–5:00pm
Group Dinner (Optional)
6:00pm–8:00pm

Please note: This schedule is tentative and is subject to change.

2018 Senior Fellow

Maria Rogal
Professor
School of Art + Art History
Graphic Design Program & Affiliate Faculty
Center for Latin American Studies
University of Florida

2018 Fellows

Camila Afanador-Llach
Assistant Professor
Department of Visual Arts and Art History
Florida Atlantic University

Denise Anderson
Assistant Professor
Robert Busch School of Design
Michael Graves College
Kean University

Liat Berdugo
Assistant Professor
University of San Francisco

Anne Berry
Assistant Professor
Cleveland State University

David Hardy
Assistant Professor
James Madison University

Jessica Jacobs
Assistant Professor
Columbia College Chicago

Cynthia Lawson
Associate Professor
Integrated Design
The New School

Christine Lhowe
Instructor
Seton Hall University

Courtney Marchese
Assistant Professor
Quinnipiac University

Daniel McCafferty
Assistant Professor
University of Manitoba

Grace Moon
Adjunct Professor
CUNY Queens College

Sarah Rutherford
Assistant Professor
Cleveland State University

Misty Thomas-Trout
Assistant Professor
University of Dayton

Karen Zimmermann
Professor
University of Arizona

Local Lunch and Coffee Spots

Starbucks
13-25 Astor Pl, New York, NY 10003

Pret A Manger
1 Astor Pl, New York, NY 10003

Le Petite Parisien – Sandwiches / Baguettes
32 E 7th St
New York, NY 10003

Mamoun’s Falafel – Middle Eastern
30 St Marks Pl
New York, NY 10003

V-Spot – Vegan / with Gluten Free options
12 Saint Marks Pl
New York, NY 10003

Bluestone Lane (coffee shop)
51 Astor Pl, New York, NY 10003
(just downstairs in the same building as SJU)

Chopt Creative Salad Co.
51 Astor Pl, New York, NY 10003
(just downstairs in the same building as SJU)

Many tasty Ramen and Sushi places on St. Marks between 2nd and 3rd Ave.

Design Incubation Fellowship Program

January 12, 15, 19, 2015
11am-1pm
St. John’s University
Manhattan Campus
101 Astor Place
New York, NY 10003

This is Design Incubation’s inaugural Fellowship Program. To find out more information and to apply, please visit the Fellowship Program section, review the format of the workshops, and the fellowship application process.