Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education - Volume 21, Issue 2, 2022

Earlier studies have indicated that mood boards have notable potential. The impact of collectively created mood boards on individual ideation, however, has not been thoroughly studied. This article demonstrates how to bring together collaborative and individual elements in design education. We analysed the role of specific, collectively created, mood boards in student-level conceptual design and how students describe this role. We asked the eleven craft education students participating in this study to develop shared mood boards in team design sessions, and to individually design an outfit utilizing a mood board. The data (i.e. video-recorded interviews, students’ visual and material artefacts, notes) were analysed qualitatively. The results indicated that the shared mood boards played an active role in the students’ processes by expanding their creative idea space and providing a context for their idea development. Our findings could be beneficial for developing craft education by combining collaborative and individual efforts.

Against the backdrop of the pandemic, the teaching of art and design courses is being perceived as a challenge for lecturers and instructors owing to a shift in the types of courses during the COVID-19 era as well as the pandemic’s physiological impact on students. This article demonstrates the impact of applying a blended learning model on a teaching method focusing primarily on developing the students’ style and authentic design sense. This study was applied to one of the major courses in the Department of Textile Printing, Dyeing and Finishing, Faculty of Applied Arts, Damietta University during the first semester of the academic year 2020–21. The study comprises a questionnaire to assess the effectiveness of the blended learning model in the printed hanging textile design course, acknowledging the impact of the lecturer’s teaching strategies and understanding the individual style development process from students’ perspectives.

Interior space modelling as part of simulation technology is crucial to support the study of interior design. Various simulation techniques have been used for spatial modelling, such as manual and digital drawing, while widely used physical interior models are so far made customized to meet a particular form of design. In other words, such space modelling is by nature fixed or not meant to be used for various needs of modelling tasks. As a result, the interior design study process can become difficult for those who are less able to make manual or digital drawings. It may have a psychological impact on the student’s engagement and motivation. This study aimed to examine the role of a previously developed interior space modelling tool in supporting the study process and student engagement. The research method used for this project is an experiment that involves 48 interior design students. The analysis of data reveals that a modelling tool has a significant effect on study engagement for the group of respondents who can only draw but are less able to use a computer to create digital simulations. Meanwhile, for those who have already been able to make a digital simulation, their engagement response to the space modelling tool is less significant.

The use of virtual reality (VR) to create immersive experiences through the principles taught in art and design curricula has been studied over the past two decades while, at the same time, demonstrating positive correlations between learning outcomes and the technology. Not surprisingly, the creation of 3D models within a virtual environment leads to a better understanding of 3D workflow. Yet, despite these developments, few studies have been conducted specifically on the application within a studio context for art and design disciplines and how VR might benefit artists and designers. This study confirms that the use of VR in art and design courses is perceived to promote a better understanding of three-dimensional spaces, design and to improve student-centred activities and student–student interactions. At the same time, integrating VR into curriculum should be strategic and aligned with learning outcomes for impactful learning experiences.

Working with metaphorical objects as a creative didactic approach unfolds multiple prospects for making meaning of one’s orientation towards artistic practice. Through improvisation, storytelling and visual displays, new perspectives are derived from the professional experiences encountered by practitioners as they engage with the material world and their connections to it. This article expresses the relationship between text and image in meaning-making processes through which visual artists are supported to articulate multiple significances that come together to speak to what their ‘truth’ is; thus, it being subjective in context. Connecting practice to pedagogy, visual connections and inner thoughts are nurtured through a critical process to frame one’s professional identity and scholarly standpoint. A group of twenty art practitioners and educators engaged in a process of defining their philosophies of practice using both tangible and intangible objects through a talking circle. This arts-based approach provided the group with an opportunity to individually share professional experiences linked to their choice of metaphoric objects within a circular orientation. Individual reflection, expression and relationship building were realized and in so doing, a hand, key(s), pencil, key holder, book, shield, environment, culture, bottle, perfume bottle, phone, pot, rubber, balloon and laptop were used as metaphorical objects. This created a unique connection between creativity and imagination through a humanistic orientation in which participants’ inner voices were visually expressed. The notion of ‘Art for what Purpose?’ that is significant in meaning-making was expressed in the voices of the participants making the metaphorical objects relevant within that particular context. With reference to a personal quote ‘I either use a pen to voice my thoughts or fail to do so and have no self-worth’ demonstrates that for one’s voice to be heard by a given audience, there is need to share it in all possible ways. Therefore, participants’ engagement in the talking circle revealed the relevance of empowering practitioners through both oral and visual expressions to validate their self-worth within given contexts as both an academic and practice strategy in establishing meaning.