Postgraduate research within the Communication Design Program is at an exciting stage in its evolution. With its origins in the field of Graphic Design, the Program has expanded its area of interest and expertise to embrace a broader understanding of design, communication, practice and research. This diversification is a response to the changing nature of communication design practice and research in the field of communication studies. This diversification was made possible because of, and continues to build on, its strong origins in design research explored through practice. Lisa Grocott, founder of the Program explains the foundation of the Program as the following.
The postgraduate program in Graphic Design was developed at a time when there was already an established argument for practice-based design research degrees at RMIT. This afforded the Communication Design department an already rich pedagogical and philosophical model to work with, and in turn the space to consider what contribution Graphic Design could make to the practice of Graphic Design in general and to the RMIT research culture specifically.
In recognition of the practice communities' cynicism with respect to design research I focused my early research on the potential of practice-led research as an integral component of professional practice.
What I learnt from this research as a practitioner and academic directly informed how the curriculum was designed and allowed the students, in accepting the premise, to develop projects that investigated matters of concern particular to their practice as graphic designers. Within a research environment lacking experience and breadth of expertise it also seemed relevant to rethink the one-on-one student/supervisor model and really push how a peer-learning model could be supportive, critical and productive.
The Program continues to explore alternate approaches and applications of a design or studio model of research practice and supervision at both Masters and PhD level. Research topics explored within the field span from exploring the nature of communication design practice, the socio, cultural and political contexts of this practice, applications of design within lived environments, interaction design, communication literacies and the pedagogy of practice. Within the Program there is a focus on practice-led research, although some students do elect to use alternate methodologies and forms of presentation.
Communication Design can be understood as an intermediary practice; facilitating interaction and building bridges between different entities. As an area of postgraduate study within RMIT this continues to be the case. In addition to our membership within the Graduate School of Design in the School of Architecture and Design, the Program is also located within the School of Applied Communication and works closely with the other communications disciplines such as Media Studies, Communication Studies, Journalism and Asian Media. This rich blend of connections and interactions enables students within the Program to engage with, and draw on, diverse fields of knowledge as they investigate their particular areas of interest and expertise. In 2006 we established the practice-based communication research precinct. This is a dedicated workspace for collaboration, investigation and individual work for both staff and postgraduate students.
In conjunction with individual student research projects, research activity within the Communication Design Program includes collaborative explorations (Dear John, Fashion City, Hypertext), public events (Character) and funded research projects (ACID). Each of these explorations adds to the overall research activity of the area. The outcomes of these activities have included publications, exhibitions and the facilitation of communities of practice, where people explore areas of shared interest through various communication media and methods. It is proposed that in 2007 this area of interest will expand with a new interdisciplinary postgraduate cohort who will be exploring the interconnections between media, design and practice. This will include a structured seminar program that will facilitate and further explore this hybrid field of practice in theory and action.
Dr Laurene Vaughan, Practice-Based Research Coordinator (Applied Communication)