Scissors, Glue, and Research too

My recent conference presentation on my practice-led research, complete with technology failures and the long, winding road of inquiry.

Though I often discuss research in this space, it’s occurred to me that I rarely share any specifics about my work here. When I started The Quiet Design Scholar, my goal was to write about things at the edges of my scholarly work — mostly because I didn’t want this to be an extension of my CV!

Nonetheless, from time to time (like right now) I’ll get into a few details. Earlier this month, I presented my recent research at the Mid-America College Art Association (MACAA) conference, hosted by Auburn University. It was my first experience with this organization, and our panel did not disappoint.

Our panel was on the theme of Information and Emotion: Visual Communication for Social Histories. The thing that attracted me to this panel initially was that the theme addressed creative design work as a way to investigate histories. Four of us presented our work, and there were a few audience members too. Other than a snafu with my slides not advancing properly while being recorded (yes, it was being recorded and a kind fellow panelist broke the news to me — damn the technologies!), our panel covered a wide range of practice-led design research.

My presentation, Visual Chatter: Collage as an Approach to Understanding Social Histories of Graphic Design, focused on my use of collage as a research tool/approach for text analysis, specifically in finding themes within graphic design debates from the early 2000s. This study is part of my larger (very long term) project The Designers Respond.

My exploratory questions led to more questions. Excerpt from my presentation slide deck for “Visual Chatter: Collage as an Approach to Understanding Social Histories of Graphic Design.”

Two ethical design debates. Excerpt from my presentation slide deck for “Visual Chatter: Collage as an Approach to Understanding Social Histories of Graphic Design.”

The texts I worked with are derived from website comments (think Design Observer, Speak Up, AIGA Voice, Eye magazine’s blog, and others) as well as Letters to Editors (think Print magazine). I discussed two specific design debates (see image above) as well as the theory, ethical challenges, and process for my study.

The collages themselves are really messy (should visual research be neat and tidy? — discuss amongst yourselves in the comments…) and they show all the pencil lines, bits of glue, streaks of mystery mediums, and so forth.

Detail from my Posters for Japan Design Debate text collage, from my presentation “Visual Chatter: Collage as an Approach to Understanding Social Histories of Graphic Design.”

The debates represented within them, however, are also messy. With no real resolutions for each debate (no winners, no losers) the debates seem cyclical, destined to make their way to another group or generation to (maybe) debate once again.

Detail from my The Sex Issues Design Debate text collage, from my presentation “Visual Chatter: Collage as an Approach to Understanding Social Histories of Graphic Design.”

Where do I go from here? Next month, I’m giving another talk at my university regarding AI and design debates for this same project. The Designers Respond may be years in the making (seven years and counting…) but it’s also taught me what constitutes progress, and how far the simplest questions might travel.

Thanks for reading all the way to the end.