Theory and Practice
Collaborative Collage: A Method for Teaching Ideation in Graphic Design
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Anna Jordan
Perhaps the most challenging part of being a graphic designer is the anxiety one feels when facing a blank page. How does one teach a new designer to effectively and reliably come up with ideas? I developed a process for teaching ideation to graphic design students that can be applied to a wide range of design projects. This process is inspired by my personal design practice, the Surrealists’ exquisite corpse drawing game, and Skolos-Wedell’s form-to-content method for designing posters. We begin with an exciting collaborative collage exercise, involving an enormous selection of unconventional tools and materials, leading to spectacular and complex sculptural creations. Each sculptural collage is altered by each and every participant. Next, students photograph the sculptures to create two-dimensional images that we then mine for ideas, similar to how a miner would chip away at earth to reveal valuable gems. In a matter of hours, students generate hundreds of ideas, each with corresponding examples of design elements such as typography, grid, texture, color, and image. Then, I lead students through a flexible morphology that teaches them how to take these raw ideas and expand them into applied pieces of graphic design. Students are able to take this process with them into their careers and future work, ensuring that they will never again face designer’s block. In this paper I illustrate exactly how this process works, with real examples of student work, and explain how this innovative pedagogy could be applied to a wide range of design problems.
Bridging Academia and Practice: A Comparative Study of Brand Design Projects in Higher Education View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Raquel Antunes, António Brandão
This study investigates the application of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in higher education design courses, focusing on its effectiveness through two distinct case studies involving brand design projects. The research was conducted at a private higher institution (PrHI) and a public higher institution (PuHI), each employing PBL in different contexts and durations. The findings indicate that PBL significantly enhances student engagement, motivation, and practical skills by involving students in real-world design problems. At PrHI, the project spanned two and a half months, allowing for individual in-depth exploration, while at PuHI, the shorter one-month project emphasised group collaboration and rapid iteration. Teachers played a crucial role as facilitators, providing guidance and feedback, while external partners enriched the learning experience with professional insights. Despite challenges such as resource-intensive support and the complexity of aligning academic assessments, PBL proved to be a versatile and effective teaching strategy. Furthermore, it provides a structured methodology consisting of five steps: 1) getting an idea, 2) designing the project, 3) detailing the project, 4) doing the project, and 5) showcasing the project. The study underscores the adaptability of PBL and its potential to bridge the gap between academia and professional practice, advocating for its broader implementation in design education.
Becoming Institutionalized: Navigating Institutional Culture in Design and Research
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Maria Portugal
This study investigates the pervasive influence of institutional culture on the methodologies and approaches of design researchers and practitioners. Drawing from reflections within the PhD By Design initiative, which focuses on practice-based PhDs in Design, we explore the dynamics of institutionalization both in academic and non-academic settings. The central research question addresses the extent to which institutional culture shapes design research and practice. We examine how institutional influence manifests in day-to-day design and research activities, identifying key patterns that illustrate the impact of institutional research culture on methodologies and approaches. Through case studies and reflective insights from individuals transitioning between academia and practice, we uncover the nuanced interplay between institutional norms and individual agency. Special attention is given to the phenomena of openness to change versus resistance within these settings. This investigation also explores opportunities for design researchers and practitioners to actively shape institutional research cultures. It addresses the challenges and limitations encountered in these endeavors, emphasizing the potential for transformative impact on the broader landscape of design research both within and beyond academic boundaries. Ultimately, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of how institutional contexts influence design research and practice, offering insights that are relevant for fostering adaptive and innovative approaches within academic and professional environments alike.
Advancing Faculty Mentorship in Design Higher Education: Research, Applications, and Impact
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Steven Faerm
Mentorship is an essential component to achieving success as a design educator. Faculty members bring a tremendous amount of professional design experience and knowledge to their students and schools, but they cannot be expected to learn and grow as academic professionals in isolation. This study discusses best practices for establishing and developing mentorship programs for design educators. To begin, an introduction to mentorship is provided. The definition and standard functions of mentorship, responsibilities shared by participants, and activities performed in the mentor-mentee relationship are examined. Close attention is given to the ways in which teacher-mentees, particularly those who are new to academia, can be socialized into the profession and the institution itself. A list of guiding principles and characteristics of mentorship is also enclosed. These include collaboration, purpose, trust, and mutual benefits. Then, following these overviews, focus is given to explaining how design schools and their faculty members can develop effective mentoring programs. A review of diverse mentorship models and their approaches are described, along with step-by-step methods for cultivating a dynamic partnership between mentors and mentees. To conclude, extensive research-based findings explicate the key benefits of mentorship for mentees, mentors, and the institution itself.
