El conocimiento de diseño en un proyeto de creación de la identidad visual de una marca: un estudio cualitativo sobre la practica legitimada del diseño gráfico

Abstract

This article aims to contribute to the legitimation of design through a reflection on the nature of design knowledge, with a study about the academic practice of graphic design. Our theoretical framework is constituted by the vision for the design of international reference organizations, namely, on the designer´s role in complex problem-solving; and the study by Carvalho and Dong (2008) on what constitutes realization of legitimate knowledge in a set of design disciplines. With the objective of verifying the existence of internalized guiding principles in the design student’s practice, consistent with the conclusions of Carvalho and Dong, our study starts from the analysis of student’s final project reports on creating the visual identity of a brand. From the content analysis of the students’ reports, descriptions of their design practice, it is possible to verify the existence of legitimation codes consistent with a recognized, valued and legitimized practice. The conclusions allow us to recognize that there is a correlation between the view of graphic design practitioners, about their potential for complex communication problem-solving, and the cognitive nature of their practice due the design knowledge put into action in the design process.