Questions of Expertise in Culture, Arts and Design

Questions of Expertise in Culture, Arts and Design

Volume 2020

Conference Paper

Characteristics of Design as an Academic and

Creative Discipline
Al Momani Khaled Nabil
Graduate student, Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg, Russia

Abstract
This article analyses research related to graphic design in the field of education and
gives an overview of multiple definitions given in specialized literature regarding
graphic design and design research. Design research provides an important blueprint
for many other areas of practical research in contemporary society. The methodology
of graphic design is transferable – it can be utilized not only in graphic design as such,
but also in other areas, including management, business, and marketing. This process
has been facilitated by the development of an academic research base, including
doctoral programs. Due to the insufficient number of works on graphic design, it is
necessary to venture into the other areas, such as industrial design, architecture, and
engineering, which have a larger number of studies in the field of education. To prove
Corresponding Author:
that graphic design can affect the educational environment, it is necessary to study the
Al Momani Khaled Nabil
cylosound@mail.ru
nature of design as project research and design process.

Published: 25 August 2020 Keywords: design, graphic design, education, character design, industrial design,
design thinking
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Al Momani Khaled Nabil. This

article is distributed under the
terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License, which
permits unrestricted use and
1. Introduction
redistribution provided that the
original author and source are Literature review shows that “graphic design research” in education, and research
credited.
specifically focused on the role of transfer and reflexive practice in graphic design
Selection and Peer-review under research, are limited. This is not surprising given the history of design research in
the responsibility of the
general. Although the practice of design has a long history, design research is more
Questions of Expertise in
Culture, Arts and Design modern, especially compared to other fields of research, such as technical and human
Conference Committee.
sciences [1].
Design research ”became a recognizable field of study in the 1960s, initially marked
by a conference of design techniques at Imperial College in London, 1962” [2]. This led
to the creation of the Society for Design Research (DRS) in 1966. D. K. Jones, one of the
initiators of the 1962 conference, founded the graduate school of design studies at the
University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, and L. B. Archer, with the
support of M. Black, founded the graduate school of design studies at the Royal College

How to cite this article: Al Momani Khaled Nabil, (2020), “Characteristics of Design as an Academic and Creative Discipline” in Questions of
Expertise in Culture, Arts and Design, KnE Social Sciences, pages 294–298. DOI 10.18502/kss.v4i11.7560
Page 294
 Questions of Expertise in Culture, Arts and Design

of Art. London has historically been the first place to study design. [3] The society for
design studies has always aimed to ”promote the study and exploration of the design
process in all its many fields” [4]. Therefore, its purpose to act as a form of a scientific
society, adhering to a scientific and independent approach to the design process.
Some of the design techniques and design studies emerged after the World War II and
lie at the heart of operational research and management decision-making techniques, in
the development of creative techniques in the 1950s and the emergence of computer
problem-solving programs in the 1960s. B. Archer says that ”the most fundamental
challenge to traditional design ideas is the growing support for systematic problem-
solving methods, borrowed from computer technology and management theories, to
evaluate design problems and develop design solutions.” [5] H. A. Simon laid the
foundations of a ”science of design”, which is ”a collection of intellectually sophisticated,
analytic, partly formalizable, partly empirical doctrine about the design process”[6].

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Design as an academic discipline

Design incorporates a large number of disciplines conditioned in various forms and

contexts. Here the designer finds problems and solutions through the more traditional
disciplines of design: architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, industrial
design and graphic design [7].
Common topics include the practice of developing visual solutions through the use
of typography, illustrations and images to create with them – branding solutions, print
media, advertising, and packaging.
In AGDA (the Australian Graphic Design Association [8]) graphic design is described
as a problem-solving process that requires creativity, innovation and technical knowl-
edge, understanding of the customer, product or service, the goals of their competitors
and the target audience, as well as visual solutions are created through manipulation,
combinations and use of form, colour, images, printing.
The discipline of graphic design continues to evolve, and recent developments
include interaction with digital media including interface design, broadcasting and
interactive media (international council of graphic design associations [9]).
The terms ”AG” and ”visual communication” are increasingly associated with the
description of graphic design Australian graphic design Association.

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 Questions of Expertise in Culture, Arts and Design

In graphic design, numerous design definitions are well known, and there is general
agreement that the design process can be described in simple terms [4]. Central to the
graphic design process is the activity of thought and planning, which leads to goals
Friedman [10], in other words, actions aimed at changing existing situations in preferred
situations Simon [11]. An innovative design component is not so much “what is made”
as “how is it made” [12]. The design process typically leads to the development of an
artefact, service, or structure, but it is the result of the design process, not the design
itself Friedman [10].

3. Discussion
3.1. Design process

Design process at a basic level can be described as ”a certain sequence of events,

actions, or methods by which a procedure or set of procedures to achieve a goal leads
to a goal or result” [13].
The UK design Council States that ”the design process consists of several activities
and methods that are linked in a way that meets the requirements of the task or project.”
[14]
A more detailed description of the design process can be problematic due to signif-
icant differences present in different cultures and design contexts.
The consensus in the design industry is that there is no established best practice for
the design process. This is echoed by D. Clarkson and K. Eckert who state: ”Despite
extensive research conducted since the 1950s, there is no single model that would
agree to give a satisfactory description of the design process” [15].
However, there is general agreement that there are some commonalities between
the different processes used, and they usually consist of separate phases, including
cyclical and iterative activities.
That is, the design process is not in a linear format, but in a constant cyclic process
and repetition of actions, requiring a flexible infrastructure that allows you to respond
to creative changes.
At the same time, it is recognized that a standardized description of the design
process is problematic. [15]

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 Questions of Expertise in Culture, Arts and Design

3.2. Characteristics of the design process thinking model

This model describes a four-step process defined as discovery, definition, development,

and delivery. These steps are summarized as follows:

1. Discover: where a design problem is determined by examining a wide range of

ideas, with key activities that include identifying user needs, analysing market
research, trends and other sources of information.

2. Define: where the combination of ideas or directions identified during the discovery
phase is analysed and synthesized into a brief, with key activities including project
development, project management, and project signing.

3. Develop: where design solutions are created, repeated and tested, key activities
including interdisciplinary operational visual management, prototyping techniques,
and testing are carried out.

4. Deliver: where the final design concept is taken through final testing, signed,
produced and launched, followed by product evaluation and feedback cycles while
it is possible to define and describe the characteristics of the design process, Best
in his Design Management suggests that this process rarely follows a linear format.
[13]

The design process typically involves iterative reprocessing and iterative activities,
and it is important to provide flexibility to allow for response to creative changes. [13, 14]

4. Conclusion

The article illustrates how graphic design can help in scientific research, as well as in
creative and logical development through the design stages adopted in graphic design
(design thinking). The methodology can be used not only in graphic design but also
in other areas, including management, business, and marketing. A design study that
”came of age” in the 1980s continues to expand. This process has been facilitated by the
development of a research base, including doctoral programs, in many design schools,
which were previously art colleges.

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References

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[3] Archer, L. B. (1965). A Systematic Method for Designers. London: Council for Industrial
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[14] Design Council. (2005). The ‘Double Diamond’ Design Process Model. Retrieved
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designers-work/The-design-process/.
[15] Clarkson, P. J. and Eckert, C. M. (2005). Design Process Improvement: A Review of
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