Introduction to Second Session - Student Exegeses in Communication Design

Abstract

This third issue of LINK PRAXIS Journal continues its commitment to advancing scholarly discourse on practice-oriented methodologies within communication design. This second session features three selected exegeses by graduating students from the Communication Design programme at Auckland University of Technology, produced in 2024. Each exegesis adopts the connective exegesis model articulated by Hamilton and Jaaniste (2010), aiming to situate practical design outcomes within thoroughly researched contexts.

Connective exegesis encourages students to critically engage beyond aesthetic considerations, prompting them to address specific communication objectives, stakeholder needs, and broader societal questions. This research-driven approach enriches students’ creative practice by demanding deeper, reflective engagement with their projects. It foregrounds intellectual inquiry, embedding methodological rigour within practical outcomes.

These selected exegeses exemplify LINK PRAXIS Journal's aim of fostering scholarly and reflective design practices. Presented largely unedited to preserve their methodological integrity and authentic student voice, they offer insights into the potentials and challenges of practice-led research. While distinct from the peer-reviewed articles in the first session, this selection maintains the journal’s commitment to methodological rigour and academic reflection. By positioning creative practice simultaneously as the driver and result of scholarly inquiry, these exegeses contribute meaningfully to a growing body of academic literature within communication design. Continuing the approach established in previous issues, these case studies offer substantial evidence of connective exegesis as a rigorous, reflective methodological framework for design research.