AGDA Design Research Journal Special Issue Call For Papers

AGDA Design Research Journal Special Issue Call For Papers Topic: Graphic Design / Visual Communication Research Guest Editor: Mark Roxburgh Visual Communication Program University of Technology Sydney Background: Design research and design knowledge have been the topics of hot debate in the international forum for the best part of a decade. These themes have been covered in numerous conferences and journal issues dedicated to exploring them in great depth. Whilst this interest has been critical in challenging design educators', theorists' and practitioners' perceptions and understandings of design, much of the discourse can be characterised as:

• often being largely theoretical.
• dealing with design as a generic activity.
• largely dealing with design activities other than graphic design /
• visual communication / communication design.

This is not surprising. In an earlier moment of design history, these topics were hot property in the "Design Methods Movement" of the 60s and 70s, which emerged out of the fields of architectural, engineering and industrial design. These fields still tend to dominate discourse. Given this history, the implications for notions of research and knowledge in graphic design / visual communication have not been adequately articulated, or if they have, it has occurred in such diffuse locations as to appear as if little has been achieved. The assumption that is often made about design being a generic activity, with little consideration for the media that one is working in, is also problematic. Though different fields of design have commonality, the implications for each in relation to notions of research and knowledge are potentially varied. It is with this in mind that I am calling for articles that deal with these topics, as they relate to graphic design / visual communication, for a special issue of the AGDA Journal of Design Research. I am interested in receiving articles outlining case studies, as opposed to theoretical propositions, of the development and evaluation of models of research for graphics / visual communication practice. These case studies could be professional applications or applications at an undergraduate / post-graduate level. It is an expectation that in outlining a research approach, through case study, authors will provide a framing theory and rationale as well as a critical reflection upon it, rather than a 'how to' account. Procedure: The normal conditions and guidelines of the journal apply for this special issue but as guest editor I will oversee the peer reviewing process. Submissions should be sent to me no later than midnight Friday the 5th of November 2004. As the journal is electronic, all articles accepted on recommendation of the peer reviewers will be published. Journal URL: For submission guidelines go to http://www.agda.asn.au/education/designresearchjournal/index.html For any inquiries and submission of papers: Mark.Roxburgh@uts.edu.au Mark Roxburgh Director of Program Visual Communication Faculty of Design Architecture and Building University of Technology Sydney PO Box 123 Broadway NSW 2007 Australia ph: 61 2 9514 8903