Croí:The development and evaluation of a process to encourage core and responsible design in graphic communication design education

It is largely recognised that professional disciplines, such as Graphic Communication Design (GCD), must become more responsible for society and the environment to survive and flourish. This requires transformation. Graphic Communication Design Education (GCDE) is well placed to contribute to this change, but there is minimal evidence to suggest that it has theoretical and evidence-based processes by which to do so. The aim of the thesis was to encourage core (meaning personal and ethical) and responsible design in GCDE—to foster responsible graduates. The objectives were to develop a process of core thinking and doing for GCDE, to evaluate the process for effect in relation to core and responsible design in GCDE to explore the broader impact implementation might have outside GCDE. 

The thesis describes how I undertook an in-depth investigation of relevant literature, to evaluate past and current efforts to advocate for responsibility in GCDE and other areas of design education. It describes the research methodology which supports the investigation. It also explains the five cycles of Action Research (AR) I conducted between 2016 and 2018 to develop and evaluate Croí the resulting process, and a study I did to gauge the impact of Croí one year after implementation in 2019. Participant groups comprised design students and educators. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the information collected.

The thesis results in a process of core thinking and doing for GCDE—Croí, suggestions on how it should be implemented; what it can accomplish in the context of core and responsible design and what it can accomplish more broadly in GCDE and other areas. Croí is shown to encourage core thinking and doing. It is also shown to directly lead to responsible thinking. It is less clear whether it leads to responsible doing directly. But indications are that it can, the main signifier being core design itself. I also suggest a new framework for GCDE—The Core Curriculum. Continued use of Croí as part of The Core Curriculum could embed core design and provide a framework to educate for these new ways of designing. Both Croí and The Core Curriculum can also help GCDE to resolve current issues of overcrowded curricula, whilst increasing confidence in students and successfully advancing the field.