1
Chapter ---
Cultivating tactics for a change in practice:
A designer’s quest to merge personal values with communication
design practice, and what happened along the way…
* * *
T. Ivanka
Master of Design (Communication Design)
2009
RMIT
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Chapter ---
Cultivating tactics for a change in practice:
A designer’s quest to merge personal values with communication
design practice, and what happened along the way…
* * *
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements
for the degree of Master of Design by Research
T. Ivanka
Master of Design (Communication Design)
School of Media and Communication,
Communication Design Portfolio
RMIT University
March 2009
Declaration
I certify that except where due acknowledgement has been
made, the work is that of the author alone; the work has
not been submitted previously, in whole or in part, to
qualify for any other academic award; the content of the
thesis is the result of work which has been carried out since
the official commencement date of the approved research
program; any editorial work, paid or unpaid, carried out by
a third party is acknowledged; and, ethics procedures and
guidelines have been followed.
________________________________
Tania Ivanka
September 2009
Acknowledgements
Derek and Willow for their important influence and being there for me
at the tentative start of this journey. Laurene Vaughan and Yoko Akama
for their patient supervision. Geoff Browne for the many conversations
about sustainability. Sarah Caulfield for her thorough and supportive proof
reading. And mum for forgiving me missing her birthday every GRC.
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index
First
01. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.07
02. Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.15
Project narratives
03. Where’s the undo? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.23
04. Did someone die? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.42
05. Is it fun being you? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.44
06. Why aren’t you gluing it down? . . . . . . . . p.57
07. What happens when we reach 100%? . . . . p.71
08. Where did you get those? . . . . . . . . . . . . p.75
Finally
09. Reflective mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.95
10. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.113
Also
Mapping terms ...................... p.149
References ......................... p.155
Fold out maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . final pages
Herein lies the journey of change, from being
a frustrated and isolated designer, to finding a
connected practice expressing my personal values.
Much was learnt on the journey regarding the nature of my
practice and how it changed, about sustainability and what it
means for my practice, tactics, framing and the recognition
of a greater potential of my communication design practice
beyond material considerations to be com ing a device for
connection leading to a more sustaining practice.
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01
introduction
fig 1.1 Urban Installation
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This is not how I understood my research or my dissatis-
faction in the beginning.
It has taken some time for me to uncover my motives
and values and redirect my practice to being one that is
satisfying. The outcome of my research does not provide
any ecological checklists for communication designers.
I do not describe the best paper and ink to use. Many of
these aspects of communication design practice are now
covered in online resources such as Design by Nature (Carlile,
2005–2008), Lovely As A Tree (Clark, 2005–2008) and
even more recently Aaris Sherin’s book: SustainAble (Sherin,
2008). As I discovered through a critique of my projects,
material considerations such as paper and ink choices for
communication design practice are more complicated than
they first seem. Instead, through my research findings I
hope to help designers think about their role in a global
context – the connectedness of design practice, and to make
some of these decisions for themselves.
Where the research began and how it changed
I came to this study uncertain about my future in design.
I had been unhappy with my professional practice. I had
searched for mentoring and professional development in
industry but I was dissatisfied with the design direction I was
given. I had already begun to seek inspiration elsewhere;
initially this came in the form of street art.
So it was that my research began with a disinterest in, even an
aversion to commercial design practice, which I associated
with reactive design based purely on client directives that
disregarded – even conflicted with – my personal values.
In my early research title, I wanted to subvert design as I
understood it at that time:
“Subversion by design / Of no commercial value:
Exploration of the area of subversion by design, how design and consumerism
might be subverted to encourage thinking and dialogue. (to be restated)”
(Graduate Research Conference, first presentation, RMIT, May 2005)
01. Introduction
Title
Cultivating tactics for a change in practice:
A designer’s quest to merge personal values with communi-
cation design practice, and what happened along the way…
Research questions
What happens when a communication designer attempts to
merge personal values with design practice?
What issues and challenges arise and how might a designer
deal with these challenges?
What this research is about
This research is about a journey of change. This text tells
the story of the evolution of my practice from being one of
isolation and disillusionment, to becoming one of meaning
and personal and professional satisfaction. Frustrated and
confused I had a gut feeling that something had to change.
I came to understand that values were the catalyst and the
means for realising this. Back then, at the beginning of this
research, my personal values were left at the door of the
design studio, yet I yearned for something more. I needed
greater integration between who I was as a person, and how
I practiced design. Identifying and articulating these values
has become central to this research project.
This research is also about a search for inspiration, mentors
and models by which to practice communication design in a
way that is aligned with my personal values regarding social
and environmental issues, and subsequent development of
a language and literacy to engage with this field.
01. Introduction
