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PHD-DESIGN  September 2014

PHD-DESIGN September 2014

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Subject:

Graphic Design as Communication Design (was background vs design)

From:

Robert Harland <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To:

PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design <[log in to unmask]>

Date:

Mon, 22 Sep 2014 10:29:54 +0000

Content-Type:

text/plain

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text/plain (188 lines)

Thanks Mike for your explanation.

I've changed the header as the points you raise probably moves the
discussion on. As such, I've left your full response below (apologies to
Ken for not snipping).

I should probably have been courteous enough to explain why I raised the
point in the first place, so I've taken some time to elaborate, and
include some references.

As well as a concern for the synonymous use of graphic design as
communication design, I've been writing recently about how urban designers
use the word "communication" to stand more for transport than the
conveying of messages. This is supposedly because the scope and complexity
of planning and design for mediated communication in urban environments is
so haphazard and chaotic (Lang 1994, p. 171). No doubt this is compared to
the mammoth output of built environment professionals such as architects
and the like, and the relatively small scale of what graphic designers
might identify with.

Hence, on a discussion list about D/design Research I thought it worth
requesting clarification.

Further afield, this distinction is also made clear from a "culture and
society" perspective by Raymond Williams (1983), who distinguishes the
meaning of communication for the "transport industry" and the
"communications industry." So it's a "keyword" here.

Consequently, I'm sensitive to the way Graphic Design and Communication
Design are related, even though graphic design as communication design is
considered by some as a timely evolution. An example of this is ICOGRADA's
recent change of emphasis from the International Council of Graphic Design
Associations to the International Council of Communication Designers. See
their manifesto of 2011. (Though they have not adopted the initials ICCD.)


I concur that some have seen Graphic Design (noun) as it matured in the
1990s as restrictive. But, as I understand graphic design (verb) remains
omnipresent in new fields such as Interaction Design or Motion Design and
has often underpinned the development of these fields in higher education.

Based on my experience of working in the Art and Design sector of higher
education in the UK, and external examining, Graphic Design recruits
significantly larger numbers than the many related fields that have
evolved since the early 1990s, such as Interaction Design, or what is also
known as Motion Graphics. I could also name more traditional 'bedfellows"
such as Illustration. I'd be interested to know the cohort sizes for
Graphic Design, Interaction Design, and Motion Design at Cincinnati to see
if this is a wider phenomenon.

In the UK this scenario is the maturing of CNAA working groups
recommendations in 1990, who interpreted graphic design as:

"Š the generic title Œgraphic design¹ is understood to apply to the broad
range of specialism¹s contributing to visual design for communication
media, whether printed or electronic, static or time-based. The media
include print (eg books, magazines and promotional material) and
electronic media (eg computer graphics and video). The technical
specialisms include illustration, typography and photography. Its
applications may be informative, persuasive or recreational, and include
information design, advertising design, corporate identity design,
packaging design and publishing design. (CNAA, 1990: 13)"

This is the stimulus for explosion into a fragmented array of fields that
some try to regroup under Visual Communication, and now under
Communication Design, in a quest seemingly to responding to what Steven
Heller referred to as the "Next Big Thing." (No doubt you'll be aware that
Heller actually called Graphic Design the "Next Small Thing.")


As you suggest, graphic designers create "communication objects in many
media" but in my view if "communication DESIGN seems to state the aim and
suggests visual/graphic means" why not just continue to call it graphic
DESIGN?" For me, Communication Design must embrace more than the visual,
and this is what I meant when I suggested Graphic Design had a tighter
sensory focus (for example, primarily visual).


Because of the point you raise about "graphic" being "suggestive of print
technology" perhaps we can satisfy ourselves with the idea that for some
Graphic Design may be the next small thing, but does graphic design not
remain the next big thing, underpinning your "visual/graphic" approach to
Communication Design?

When ever such discussions emerge, I always have the feeling that Graphic
Design and graphic design fits with the saying "can't live with you, can't
live without you"! 

Interesting things to ponder.

Regards, 

Robert


Robert Harland
School of Arts, English and Drama
Loughborough University


CNAA 1990. Vision and change: a review of graphic design studies in
polytechnics and colleges. London: Council for National Academic Awards.

Heller, S. (2001), "The Next Small Thing", Eye, No. 42, vol. 11.

Lang, J. (1994). Urban Design: the American Experience, New York: John
Wiley &
Sons, Inc.

Williams, R. (1983). Keywords: a vocabulary of culture and society,
London: Fontana
Press.









On 22/09/2014 00:43, "Paul Mike Zender" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Robert:
>
>I am sorry to treat graphic design and communication design as synonyms
>with no explanation. Switching between names reflects local issues at my
>institution and to a lesser extent in the USA.
>
>You are right, we worked for some decades to get graphic design to be the
>accepted term and applauded in the 1980-90's when it was included in the
>dictionary. But at that same time the advent of electronic communication
>in all its forms made graphic suggestive of print technology and
>therefore not applicable to a growing body of graphic design practice in
>the USA as most firms and other professionals shifted a significant
>portion of their work, in many cases the majority, to digital. It became
>clear if it was ever in doubt that graphic designers created
>communication objects in many media.
>
>NASAD, one of the largest accrediting bodies in the USA, in it's 2013-14
>handbook on page 118 a colleague tells me, has changed the standard
>reference to communication design (I'll not capitalize out of respect for
>Ken Friedman's recent post on the subject). I don't cite this as
>definitive, but as suggestive of change.
>
>In 2009 we at the University of Cincinnati significantly revised our
>curriculum and also changed the name of our program from Graphic Design
>to Graphic Communication Design program (capitalization for proper
>names). At that same time we added three focus areas in later years of
>the 5 year program: Print, Interaction and Time-Based. These are limited
>in scope and within the broad graphic/visual communication education. We
>just this month introduced a proposal to AGAIN change the program name to
>Communication Design (dropping graphic) and change the names of the three
>focus areas to Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Motion Design.
>
>Believe me, in case Terry gets out his dictionary, we are aware that the
>word graphic means more than print. But for sake of brevity and with a
>desire to keep the end the focus, communication DESIGN seems to state the
>aim and suggests visual/graphic means.
>
>I am sorry for the long explanation, but I felt it might help others to
>see the things we are considering as the the name of our profession. We
>may be misguided but it has been the subject of some conversation as we
>seek to have our name match how we define what we do. We don't write
>specifications, we design communications. There is no similar change in
>view for the Industrial Design program. I guess they still design for
>industry.
>
>BestŠ
>
>Mike Zender
>University of Cincinnati
>Editor, Visible Language
>
>
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