Degree Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2008
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts
Department
Art and Design
First Advisor
Sunghyun Kang
Second Advisor
Lori Brunner
Third Advisor
Paula Curran
Abstract
Living in the fast-paced and ever-changing corporate world of today, it has become very easy for society---including designers themselves---to forget or confuse the identity and intrinsic cultural value of the graphic designer. Flaws such as these do not just suffocate the credibility of designers, but ultimately put the cultures they represent through visual artifacts in a very fragile position. As graphic designers, we are significantly responsible for interpreting and reinterpreting these cultural messages into visual vernaculars suitable for specific target audiences. This research explores how graphic design educators can improve and maintain the designer's integrity through social, cultural, and educational learning paradigms. By emphasizing the importance of cultural sensitivity in the classroom from the beginning, educators can more effectively---and more efficiently---increase the value of graphic design as a social and cultural facilitator.;The basis of this study is to form a new comprehensive approach in design education using activity theory to promote cultural consciousness in the graphic design curriculum, a crucial step toward creating a more fluid and dynamic designer-to-culture and culture-to-designer relationship. This dialogue is represented in a new pedagogical model that can be applied to any design curriculum, which is developed through class observation, qualitative surveys and interviews, creative instruction, and integrative learning paradigms.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.31274/rtd-180813-16689
Publisher
Digital Repository @ Iowa State University, http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/
Copyright Owner
Renee J. Meyer
Copyright Date
2008
Language
en
Proquest ID
AAI1454660
OCLC Number
268786277
ISBN
9780549686385
File Format
application/pdf
File Size
117 pages
Recommended Citation
Meyer, Renee J., "Culture, context, and communication: developing a culturally sensitive curriculum in graphic design education" (2008). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 15467.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/15467
Included in
Art and Design Commons, Art Education Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Fine Arts Commons