Design Disciplines Research Articles

Healthy and Inclusive Neighbourhoods: A Design Research Toolkit for the Promotion of Healthy Behaviours

Addressing urban health through the built environment requires cross-disciplinary approaches, where design plays a crucial role. Gaining insights from a design-led research perspective to find situated solutions for promoting healthy behaviours is a requirement that must be clarified. Therefore, we ask the following question: what kind of design research instruments may help in applying the urban health approach from a design-led perspective? With this research question, and to contribute to the mentioned issues to be clarified, this paper presents the application of a framework adopted in a local action research project, namely the Healthy Neighbourhoods Hub (HNH) research project. The HNH framework was used as a design research toolkit for collecting contextual data and identifying insights to build scenarios and strategies for all the involved design disciplines. Around 169 participants among local stakeholders and citizens in two case studies in the city of Florence (Italy) were involved in semi-structured interviews, Healthy Labs, and Open Space Lab. As a result, the participatory activities provided a wide variety of qualitative data, such as themes related to user needs (n = 15), critical issues and points of weakness (n = 32), potentialities and points of strength (n = 27), strategies (n = 38), design insights (n = 30), and a collection of 40 local projects (40 in 5 themes), that contributed to the subsequent co-design activities of the project. This richness suggests the potential of using the adopted resources to build the HNH Toolkit as a design research instrument for addressing urban health and gaining design knowledge for the promotion of healthy behaviours through the design of the built environment.

A task-oriented framework for generative AI in design

The intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Design disciplines such as Architecture, Urban Planning, Engineering and Product Design has been a longstanding pursuit, with Generative AI (GAI) ushering in a new era of possibilities. The research presented here explores how GAI can enhance creativity and assist Design practitioners with tasks to create products such as, but not limited to, renderings, concepts, construction techniques, materials, data analytics or maps. We apply a framework of combinational, exploratory and transformational creativity to organize how recent advancements in GAI can support each creative category. We propose a conceptual framework of GAI towards transformational creativity, and identify real-world examples to demonstrate GAI's impact, such as transforming sketches into detailed renders, facilitating real-time 3D model generation, predicting trends through analytics and creating images or reports via text prompts. Our work envisions a future where GAI becomes a real-time collaborator to complete certain automated tasks while liberating Designers to focus on transformational innovation.

A Gradient of Unisons: The Emergent Superunit in Collective Action

Abstract As design practice shifts from designing material goods to shaping and facilitating social situations, there is a compelling need to develop a richer understanding of specific social relations as facilitated by design. This article explores bodied unisons—enkinaesthetic entrainments of self + other. We present these unison acts as identifiable patterns of behavior that are observable when people coordinate, patterns that foster a move from individual to superunit. Extending the metaphor of musical unison, this article provides perspective on the varied qualities of consensus, offering insight for those designing to coordinate behavior. The disciplines of service design, interaction design, and experience design all aim to coordinate behavior toward specific ends. In each discipline, there are two or more entities (the client and the service provider, for instance) searching for congruence, and the success or failure of the interaction can be assessed through this spectrum of unisons. This study explores the definition of unison as an enkinaesthetic embodied act, provides a framework for analysis, and concludes with implications for the design profession and some ethical considerations regarding designed unisons. The analytical framework encourages novel attention to shared experience, opening avenues for intervention in experiential design fields. As a metaphoric construct and as embodied performance, unison offers participants a sense of stability and cooperation with varying degrees of independence and agency.

Reflections of STEAM Education Concept on Art and Design Education in the Context of Digitalization

In the context of the digital age, this paper discusses the thoughts of STEAM education concept (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) on the reform of the teaching system in the field of art and design education. The reflection of STEAM education concept on art and design education can be carried out in two aspects. The first aspect is the core value of the discipline of art and design in STEAM education in terms of interdisciplinary integration, especially the importance of design thinking in interdisciplinary education. On the other hand, the STEAM education concept reflects the system construction of art and design education in cultivating interdisciplinary talents. Faced with the challenge of digitalization, art and design education urgently needs to update its teaching strategy and content. Through the combination of art and science, art and technology, art and project, and art and mathematics, a comprehensive interdisciplinary learning platform has been built, aiming to cultivate future talents with innovative consciousness and improve comprehensive quality.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF INTERIOR DESIGN AND NON – INTERIOR DESIGN STUDENTS PREFERENCES VIS-À-VIS HOME FURNISHINGS

This study was conducted among college students at Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore in the year 2023 to examine the design and colour preferences for home furnishings. The researcher selected 200 students from different disciplines to assess their preferences for home furnishings. One hundred samples were taken from the discipline of interior design, and another hundred from Homescience Extension Education, English, and Tamil disciplines. The results recommended that the interior design students preferred light colours for curtains and beddings.The statistical analysis revealed that at a significance level of 5%, the selection of curtain had the highest value, 15.560. Personal tastes significantly influenced 63.5% of the students in their selection of the furnishings.

THE ROLE OF FINE ARTS IN PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY WITHIN INDUSTRIAL AND GRAPHIC DESIGN: A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH

In contemporary design discourse, the intersection of fine arts with industrial and graphic design emerges as a pivotal avenue for promoting sustainability. This paper explores the evolving relationship between fine arts and design disciplines, highlighting their collaborative potential in addressing environmental challenges. By adopting a cross-disciplinary approach, it investigates how incorporating principles of fine arts into industrial and graphic design practices can foster sustainable solutions. The paper begins by contextualizing the current environmental crisis and the imperative for sustainable design interventions. It then delves into the fundamental principles of fine arts, emphasizing its emphasis on creativity, expression, and aesthetic sensibility. Through a comparative analysis, it elucidates how these principles can complement the technical aspects of industrial and graphic design to imbue products and visuals with sustainability-driven narratives. Furthermore, the paper examines case studies and examples where fine arts techniques and philosophies have been integrated into design processes to enhance sustainability. These include practices such as upcycling, biomimicry, and eco-conscious visual communication strategies. Additionally, it explores the role of fine arts education in nurturing a mindset that prioritizes environmental stewardship within design professionals. The findings suggest that by embracing a cross-disciplinary approach that embraces fine arts principles, designers can transcend traditional boundaries to create innovative, sustainable solutions. This synthesis of art and design not only enriches the aesthetic appeal of products and visuals but also instills a deeper consciousness of environmental responsibility. Ultimately, this paper advocates for a holistic integration of fine arts within industrial and graphic design practices as a means to promote sustainability in the face of global challenges.
 Keywords: Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Cross-Disciplinary, Industrial, Sustainability, Reviews.

2022 개정 교육과정을 반영한 중학교 미술교과 디자인 단원 수업지도안

Objectives This study proposes a design instructional plan for middle school art departments to develop core competencies pursued in the 2022 curriculum.
 Methods This article examines the core competencies outlined in the 2022 curriculum and proposes a framework for achieving them in design education in the art department, followed by the development of a design lesson plan.
 Results The framework of the new design education is to learn knowledge about solving problems in life through design and its convergence with other fields. To achieve this, students are encouraged to creatively solve problems in their immediate surroundings, read texts on the convergence of design and other disciplines, and imagine what the future will look like when technology and design converge.
 Conclusions Through this course, it is expected that learners will be able to integrate knowledge and experience from various fields to solve problems creatively and proactively deal with new situations.

Research on the Dissemination Pathways of Lvju in Education

Intangible cultural heritage Lvju has gained attention at both national and local levels. However, the significant transformations brought about by the development of social informatization have posed challenges such as an aging pool of inheritors, difficulties in promotion and dissemination, and a decrease in the audience base for Lvju. This paper employs literature review, case analysis, and comparative methods to analyze and consolidate strategies for promoting the dissemination and development of Lvju through educational and teaching approaches. The analysis is conducted from three perspectives: integration into school education, promotion of local culture, school art groups engaging with the public, and the fusion of Lvju culture with digital media and design disciplines in higher education. The aim is to explore measures within the realm of education and teaching that facilitate the promotion and development of Lvju, ultimately contributing to the preservation and protection of Lvju.

Mind the gap – industry perceptions about postgraduate studies in the discipline of design

There has been slow uptake and growth in the local postgraduate student numbers in design, especially at the doctoral level. The question must be asked why, especially when looking at the growth of design as a discipline and a widening domain resulting from technological and social development. This study aims to explore industry perceptions about postgraduate studies in design to see if that could be a reason for the slow growth. The study starts with the background of the development of the design discipline, design education, and design research. An analysis of postgraduate graduate numbers over the last decade and current providers provides a context and general landscape. The analysis is followed by a report where the perceptions and attitudes of industry practitioners about postgraduate studies in communication/graphic design were qualitatively explored. The fieldwork comprised in-depth interviews that were conducted with communication designers at various points along their career paths. Three elements were explored: identification of the type of advanced knowledge needs in industry; how design professionals see postgraduate studies, their career paths, and vision for the future; and if postgraduate studies feature in their vision for the future. Some of the participants had previously attempted postgraduate studies and were not successful; their experiences added to the rich data. The research contributes to a better understanding of the reasons for the low postgraduate numbers, and the gap between industry and academia at postgraduate levels is confirmed. The study insights provide the possibilities of increasing postgraduate capacity in design by reducing the gap when designing suitable curricula.

Legal Design: New Opportunities for the Legal Information Sector?

AbstractThis article by Emily Allbon introduces readers to the discipline of legal design, offering an insight into its application, its methodology, and the contexts in which it appears. There is coverage of why legal design is so pivotal for ensuring access to the law and an exploration of where it is being used: in legal practice, in academia, in public legal education and in the courts. There is also a close look at one element; that of visual contracts, and some consideration of where the legal information profession might position itself.

Online education in design disciplines: factors influencing the interactive experience of group learning

There has been much previous research into online group learning, but they have not been aware of or focused on the challenges that design disciplines encounter in terms of interaction when moving to online delivery. This qualitative study comprised 3 participatory design workshops and 22 one-to-one interviews that included a total of 34 teachers and students from the School of Design at the University of Leeds. Participants reported the challenges and feelings they encountered in online group learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that the interactive experience of group learning is mainly influenced by the size of the group, the layout of the platform interface, the teacher’s management style and the conflict within the group, with more far-reaching discussions providing specific questions and subtle suggestions. The article’s findings can inform future strategies for online group learning for students and teachers of design disciplines in design higher education institutions.

Hollywood film afişlerinde tipografinin imgesel kullanımı

Posters are visual or illustrated advertisements announcing various cultural, commercial, and social events. There are basic elements that enable these events to be announced and should be included in the poster. These elements are typography and image. Without these two elements in posters, effective expression cannot be achieved to communicate the content to the target audience. The discipline of graphic design, and therefore the trends and approaches to poster design, are changing and evolving in this direction, as many things do with technology. This study examines posters from the 2000s onward, where typography has become more prominent in Hollywood movie posters, especially in recent years. The historical method was used in the study. The results show that typography is used as eye-catching and striking as the image and that this trend is a popularizing technique, and these techniques are classified through this study.

Design and Responsive Technologies for Human Well-being

The field of research involving design and well-being, finds in the development of responsive technologies and Artificial Intelligence the latest tools for mutual influence and transformation. Research on this topic, shared at the Disrupting Geographies in the Design World forum, testified to the multiple and contemporary fields of investigation related both to technological development and the human sphere. The paper proposes a clustering of research on this topic into two sets: the first group gathers research and design approaches that increase human knowledge toward digital data, the second brings together insights on behavioral changes generated by design using emerging technologies. The results of the debate and the categorizations open new focus points aimed at improving, through the discipline of design, individual and collective well-being.

IF THIS THEN THAT Broken Linear Logic. Rethinking and Representing the Design Process

Since its origins, the discipline of Design has developed in close connection with technological progress, trying to adapt its processes, approaches and methodologies. What we are questioning is how much Design has actually been successful in converging towards a disciplinary model suitable to the most recent technological evolutions such as AI and data-driven approaches, and, first of all, how much the way of thinking of designers has changed in this direction. Through an evaluation of design approaches, methodologies and processes from an historical point of view, the aim of this paper is to surface the misalignment between contemporary design processes logic and the linearity of its common representations, due to recent technological advancements. In fact, the representation of a process affects the epistemology of the process itself. This contribution presents on-going research based on literature review and mapping of contemporary design processes structures and representations, in order to define some good attempts and practices useful for building more reliable representations of design processes able to deal with challenges in a highly-technologically advanced present.

The Digital Archive as an Inclusive Tool for Knowledge Construction Through Design Practices

The paper offers a multi-focused reflection on the relationship between the evolution of the archive and the issues of access and knowledge acquisition. The authors recognize the digital archive as a resource that, from accessibility to information, through the empowerment of individuals, makes people autonomous in their own construction of knowledge. Briefly reconstructing the evolutionary events of the archive – from a private repository of documents to a platform for online content sharing – the research, through the presentation of some case studies, highlights the main factors that have characterized the process of the progressive opening of the archive towards inclusion: the opening process on contents, collected and organized to reach extended audiences by increasing social, political and cultural impact, and the opening process on user experience on which the design discipline works through interaction and experience practices.

Teaching experience report in architecture studio

This article presents a pedagogical experience in the discipline of single-family residential design in the architecture and urban planning course at the State University of Santa Catarina. We structured a quantitative analysis of the results from the first joint experience of the teachers with a class in the studio. The main objective of the text is to contribute to discussions on the practical and theoretical teaching-learning of architecture. To achieve this goal, we organized the text starting with a brief literature review on active and passive methodologies used in project studios in undergraduate courses. We present an analysis of our journey, culminating in the presentation of the developed project's data and a brief reflection on the performance and results of our students.

Moana (Pacific) Expressions of Design

This article is a reflection on an attempt to create a space of flux through the concepts of positionality, vā and talanoa within the design academy. This was presented as an academic course, originally intended to address a gap in established learning, and to make space for intergenerational knowledge systems that were originally being shared outside of the studio (shared at the knee, through office hours, and in passing conversations). This sharing led to key questions regarding how we (re)craft our ways through our practices and what cultural conditions are needed to enable safe design and cultural production. Five students enrolled in the course and are featured as co-authors in this article. They whakapapa as Tangata whenua (Māori, people of the land) or Tagata o le Moana (specifically Sāmoan). They are enrolled in a range of design disciplines such as spatial design, fashion design, and concept design. Classes were held once a week over a 12- week semester period. These in-person classes involved reflecting and re-presenting our positional contexts, a sharing and setting of kai, hikoi to gallery exhibitions featuring Māori and Pacific art practitioners at an institutional level and a community level, alongside the sharing of scholarship developed on the concepts of vā and talanoa, while coming back to ourselves and our familial, generational social settings.

The Neuro-Cognitive Approach to Urban Planning: Wayfinding Behavior Analysis and its Effect on Urban Planning

ABSTRACT This study analyzed the urban wayfinding of people. A virtual city was designed for the study. A total of 712 people (358 men and 354 women) participated in the project. The virtual reality (VR) system allowed participants to navigate the virtual city. An electroencephalography (EEG) device was employed to measure the brain waves of participants during their wayfinding action, while eye-tracking (ET) devices were used to determine where the participants were looking. In addition, software developed for this study was used to determine the amount of time participants spent in certain parts of the city. Much more data were obtained by using different analysis techniques. In the study, the narrow streets negatively affected people's wayfinding behavior, while it was also found that the participants had difficulty finding their way around high buildings. In addition, people found wayfinding easy in wide streets. It is thought that the study will bring a different dimension to both urban design and architectural design disciplines.

Air Quality of Private Interiors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Dormitory Interiors as Shared Spaces

COVID-19 was a wake-up call for many researchers and designers that encouraged them to create better interiors. Keeping air quality within safe standards is fundamental and the best strategy to stop the spreading of viruses. Being aware of the severity of indoor transmissions of infections, exploring and understanding how they are spread, and how to avoid them can be critical steps to enhance public health. However, many of the private spaces, residential areas and places where multiple people accommodate together remain unattended, such as dormitory buildings. Since many of them do not have an HVAC system, natural ventilation is the primary method for airing dormitory rooms. Therefore, this study aims to reveal existing ventilation conditions in university dormitories, occupants’ behaviors, disinfection, and air cleaning methods in wintertime. For this, a dormitory complex was selected in Ankara (Turkey), whose climate can be compared to many other cities in the northern hemisphere, as an initial case study to provide insight. Overall, it was found that window-opening behaviors of university students are mostly determined by the density of their rooms. The study findings will raise awareness and motivate further studies in architecture, interior architecture, and design disciplines and provide initial knowledge about the topic.

Spatial Design Thinking in Coastal Defence Systems: Overtopping Dikes in Southend-On-Sea

Coastal dikes have been built for millennia to protect inhabited lands from exceptional high tides and storm events. Currently, many European countries are developing specific programs to integrate the construction of new dikes (or the raising of existing ones) into the built environment to face sea level rising. Technical difficulties in succeeding in this operation are questioning the paradigm of protection for the long term, pointing out the need for alternative strategies of adaptation that are not yet fully explored. This paper elaborates on innovative models to deal with coastal flooding, presenting the results of an interdisciplinary research and design process for the case-study of Southend-on-Sea (UK). Detailed numerical simulations are used to develop a spatial strategy to accommodate water during extreme events, introducing different prototypes of dike designs that include seawalls, enhanced roughness through rock and stepped revetments, as well as vegetation. The overall goal is to push forward the traditional approach of planning water protection infrastructure within the solely field of civil engineering. It elaborates on the integration of the disciplines of spatial design and engineering and presents novel advances in terms of spatial design for the revetment of overtopping dikes.