Unit 1

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Thesis Exploration

January 13, 2013 in Discussions, Unit 1 | No comments

I will continue to build this, but here is one thesis that relates to the topic I have interest in…sorry for the lengthy post. I also created a post to collect other thesis inspiration. I love when I see a design being creative about their approach and interest. I hope something grasps me that way.

SCAD graduate Karl E. Dinkler’s thesis, Commandshift : how the graphic design community can command greater value in the design process in exponential time, touches on the exact topic that I wish to explore. We share very similar interests including concerns about the graphic design community being undervalued in the world due to automated software processes of newer technologies, the creation of novice designers who believe that they can do the job of the professional graphic designer, and leaders in the workforce who do not see our value prior to the steps of a product’s execution.

Dinkler acknowledges that the profession of graphic design has been seen primarily as a “service-based” profession. As the growth of technologies continues, so does the rise of automated software capabilities. Those who are not part of the design community believe that our purpose is to solely execute their ideas. Once this begins to happen, a ripple effect occurs. Those novice designers who have dabbed in some software programs are flooding our market while claiming that they are designers as well. This then makes leaders of the workplace consider us as incapable of becoming professional design thinkers. Dinkler puts forward the importance of graphic designers taking back what is ours by telling who we are and what we do. Right now most of us are operating like “service-based” designers, so we will be seen as “service-based” designers until we demand more.

I like that Dinkler touches on us showing more of our processes so that we stand a chance on becoming a part of an organization’s leadership.  He also states the importance of incorporating a new definition of graphic design in education. Rather than us all taking design related courses, we should be incorporating some business and financial lessons as well. 

I have discovered that the concerns that Dinkler and I share are almost identical. If I decide to go this route with my thesis, I would need to see what else there is to explore in regards to this topic. I believe that I want to have the majority of my work target the world outside of design. I think that if I target this group, the professional graphic designers who are advocating their roles in society as visual communicators that solve design problems based on design thinking and methodologies, I can help meet them half way by convincing outsiders that we should be an essential part of any message or design problem that is in need of a solution.

U1 : Discussion : Initial ideas and thoughts

January 11, 2013 in Brainstorming, Unit 1 | No comments

My initial thought is preserve the future of the design profession. I strongly believe that changing the world’s view of the designer as a team member rather than just a tool begins with educating the population about our roles in society and how design thinking contributes to these roles. By educating future graphic design professionals, the leaders of corporations, and the decision makers of associations, we can bring awareness to the roles of graphic designers in the development of messages that call on a population to take action from the concept of an idea to its final execution.

 

 

 

INTEREST ONE
Rebranding the Graphic Designer into A Design Thinker in Organizations

The value of the graphic designer is at risk. Due to the automated processes of certain software, amateur designers are flooding our industry. Sources and users of crowd-sourcing are undermining the importance of our profession. These alternatives threaten the value of trained participants of the profession by providing graphic design services at costs and quality that are less than a professional designer’s worth.

It is imperative that the “graphic designer” is rebranded into a “design thinker” within these organizations. While our industry acknowledges the evolution of technology and its effect on graphic design industry, we must implement design thinking into the creative process so that our profession is recognized as a valuable asset to the leaders of organizations. The process of design thinking requires that graphic designers practice the exploration of ideas through brainstorming, research, collaboration, and experimentation to develop solid human-centric solutions.

Therefore, just as our industry recognizes that there are changes within our profession, we must begin to draw attention to the valuable roles/positions that our professional design thinkers offer in organizations. How can we use our expertise to create visual communications that will educate business leaders about our ability to solve design problems compared to the executions of novice designers?

 

As I explore this interest, I realize that there are two potential paths to addressing this issue:

  • Educate the leaders of organizations about the methodologies and processes of design thinking by developing materials that will show them the impact of building teams that include professional graphic designers so that our input is available at each step of the creative process from concept to the execution of a product.
  • Develop models that will educate human resources departments about changes in the graphic design industry and make them aware that design thinkers can offer better design solutions through their methodologies and processes than novice designers.

 

INTEREST TWO
Redefining Graphic Design By Reintroduction

I was recently asked, “What is graphic design?” This question was part of a project that was required for the course Design Methodologies. After taking my time to formulate a definition, I realized that my current response was much different than the one I would have given to the same question ten years ago. After this realization, I wanted to make this definition my own by calling it Methodologies by Addition and Design by Subtraction. In short, I wanted to define how methodologies and processes assist designers in building on ideas through research and exploration and how a design solution is revealed when these ideas are refined through the subtraction of ideas, which were tested or challenged with theory and collaboration.

I would like to present this concept towards prospective graphic design students preparing for college. It offered a visual introduction to the methodologies and processes that develop human-centric design solutions. The prospect design students can explore and interact with to gain a better understanding of what methodologies and processes a design thinker utilizes to develop solid human-centric design solutions.

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