LINK PRAXIS

Editorial LINK Praxis V.2 I.1 2024

Marcos Mortensen Steagall — 2024-11-06

In this second issue, LINK PRAXIS: Journal of Practice-led Research in Design and Global South continues its mission to publish high-quality scholarly contributions that engage with critical topics in design research. Volume 2 comprises two distinct sections, presenting innovative perspectives and methodologies within the field.

The first section features a selection of authors from the LINK 2023 5th Conference on Practice-led Research and the Global South, addressing the theme of diaspora. These contributions explore diverse approaches to design research, reflecting on the intersection of cultural identity, creative practice, and global migration.

The second section presents 13 texts selected from the exegesis that accompanied the capstone projects of the final year of the Communication Design degree at Auckland University of Technology. These writings reveal a pedagogical approach to practice-led research at the undergraduate level, employing the connective exegesis model (Hamilton & Jaaniste, 2010). The texts were selected by the editor from over 100 submissions, representing strong evidence of practice-led research in Communication Design at the undergraduate level.

Carnival Land: An creative consideration of sequential storytelling to discuss cultural dislocation

Tatiana Tavares — 2024-10-19

This article will outline the practice-led research project Carnival Land, a picture book that weaves together sequential storytelling and illustration to discuss cultural dislocation. Based on the researcher’s experiences as an immigrant from Brazil to New Zealand, it provides a narrative in metaphors and a creative orchestration of photomontage, bilinguality, and theatricised multi-page spreads. The story tells of the trials and eventual transformation of a young girl in a foreign land, where aspirations appear as costumes in an annual Carnival parade. Several theoretical frameworks significantly influenced Carnival Land. These were notions of transgression, carnality, and Carnival (Bakhtin, 1968); structure and discourse surrounding bricolage (Strauss, 1962); and writings relating to journey both as a rite of passage (Gennep, 1960; Turner, 1979); and as a process of immigration. Methodologically, the project emanates from an artistic research paradigm (Klein, 2010) that supports a heuristic approach (Douglass & Moustakas, 1985) to the discovery and refinement of ideas. The project employed autoethnography as a research design intended to facilitate the strategic accessing of personal experience and synthesised it into a fictional work. Thus, the research draws upon both tacit and explicit knowledge in developing the narrative, its structure, and stylistic treatments.

Listening to the kids: Children’s perceptions of culture and ethnicities in global animated films in Aotearoa New Zealand

Annelore Spieker — 2024-10-19

This study aims to look at children’s opinions and ideas of representations of cultures in global animated films. The main idea behind this journal article is to give voice to the children that consume those media texts. This paper will highlight children’s answers to online surveys and one-on-one interviews from the second part of the data collection that took place in Aotearoa New Zealand over three years. As a theoretical framework, concepts and theories such as funds of knowledge (Gonzalez, 2005), cultural mediation (Martin-Barbero, 2006), and multiculturalism (Zalipour & Athique, 2016) are used to support the social and cultural landscape in which the research participants lived during the data collection. The interviews with the children aimed to discuss sixteen Disney and Pixar films and their respective twenty-four main characters. The purpose of the conversation was to understand where children think the films’ characters might have come from and, therefore, understand to what cultural background children believe those characters belong to. According to the research findings, some factors can add to children’s comprehensions of representations of culture in the media, such as the schools they attend, and the activities children develop in those educational environments.

Through Immigrant Lens: A Reflection on Pierre Boudier’s Concept of Habitus Clivé through Photography

Aline Frey — 2024-10-19

This article explores the creative practice of immigrant photography, specifically examining the artistic work of immigrants who have chosen Australia as their place of settlement. Analysing their photographic works, the article reflects on Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of habitus clivé, which develops the notion of a fractured or divided self. This division arises when individuals confront conflicting social contexts, resulting in internal tension or dissonance within their sense of identity. In the context of migration, habitus clivé can manifest in various ways, such as tensions or conflicts between cultural traditions and new cultural contexts. Furthermore, migration can involve adaptation and adjustment in which individuals may selectively incorporate elements of the new culture into their existing habitus while maintaining aspects of cultural identity associated withtheir country of origin. These processes of negotiation and hybridisation can further contribute to the development of habitus clivé. For Bourdieu, these internal contradictions within one’s social identity are not static but evolve through ongoing social interactions. By closely examining immigrant photographers, the article highlights the visual narratives that emerge, illustrating how photography can transcend physical boundaries, creating an intermediary space between dislocation and settlement. This space becomes a potent mechanism for fostering a sense of belonging that extends beyond geographic boundaries. Interestingly, this sense is not secured to a specific geographic location but, rather, encompasses broader, internalised, notion of place. These changes align with the concept of habitus clivé as individuals navigate the complexities of migration and settlement. As a medium, photography enables individuals to inhabit this interim space of familiarity, enabling embodiment and facilitating connection with a sense of place that transcends traditional notions of belonging. The article discusses how photography can empower immigrant narratives, supporting a sense of belonging while capturing the diverse experiences of individuals navigating the challenges of immigration and settlement.

The epic and poetics of the Travesía as a space of resistance in design Education.

Herbert González — 2024-10-19

This paper explores the concept of "Travesías" as a profound pedagogical practice within the School of Architecture and Design at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, which operates as a crucial form of resistance in design education amidst contemporary cultural and structural shifts. As a professor deeply involved in these journeys, I argue for the retention and adaptation of three foundational principles that ensure the continued relevance and transformative potential of the Travesías. These principles—Observation, the Work (Obra), and the Epic of the Commons—are essential in navigating the changing dynamics that challenge traditional educational models.

As the primary mode of engaging with the world, observation encourages profoundly personal and reflective interaction with the environment, fostering a unique and profound understanding and expression. The concept of the Work transcends conventional outputs of design and architecture, advocating for a creative process that emphasises gratuitousness and poetic engagement over utilitarian and commercial objectives. Lastly, the Epic of the Commons highlights the importance of collective creation and shared experiences, pivotal in forming a cohesive educational and creative community.

These principles are increasingly vital as the Travesías confront the commodification of education and the pervasive focus on individualism and specific competencies driven by market forces. The paper calls for a dialogue among global design educators to discuss adapting these principles to contemporary needs and explore new methods that respect and rejuvenate the foundational ethos of the Travesías. This dialogue is crucial for developing a "third way" in design education that integrates the poetic with the practical, ensuring our pedagogical approach remains innovative, inclusive, and deeply humanistic. Through this exploration, we invite a rethinking of design education that emphasises collective well-being, creative freedom, and a deeper engagement with our time's cultural and ecological contexts.

Integrating Māori Perspectives in Environmental Management and Fisheries

Carla Houkamau — 2024-10-19

Māori perspectives on environmental management advocate for a balanced and interconnected approach, prioritising long-term sustainability. This contrasts with more reductionist and economically driven approaches focussed on short-term commercial gains. This paper provides an overview New Zealand’s Quota Management System (QMS) and Māori fishing rights. The paper describes aspects of mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), explaining key concepts such as kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and their application in commercial fisheries management. The research highlights how Māori-owned fishing companies balance economic interests with cultural and environmental stewardship, exceeding regulatory requirements to protect marine environments. The paper discusses the challenges faced by the industry, including environmental issues and public pressure for sustainability, while also noting the growth potential, particularly in aquaculture. By analysing the successful integration of Māori worldviews within the commercial fishing sector, this paper demonstrates the potential for reconciling Indigenous knowledge systems with modern resource management practices. It concludes that the Māori approach to fisheries management offers valuable insights for balancing economic development with ecological and cultural preservation.

Introduction to the LINK PRAXIS V.2 I.1 second section

Marcos Mortensen Steagall — 2024-11-07

This collection of 13 manuscripts presents the exegetical writing produced by final-year undergraduate students completing their Bachelor of Visual Design, with a major in Communication Design, at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). These manuscripts are a key component of the students’ Level 7 capstone projects, where creative practice is critically contextualised through academic reflection.

Following the connective exegesis model proposed by Hamilton and Jaaniste (2010), the project integrates 15 credits from Design Research, which focuses on research methodologies, and 45 credits from the Design Studio, which adopts a practice-led, research-driven approach. This framework encourages students to develop creative responses to complex global and cultural issues, connecting personal practice with broader social contexts.

The capstone project’s thematic focus on Design Citizenship encourages students to engage in transdisciplinary work that addresses contemporary cultural, environmental, and social challenges. This approach fosters innovation and authenticity, allowing students to explore how design can offer both personal and socially relevant responses to critical questions.

The programme has notably generated increased interest in postgraduate study, with many students continuing their research in the Master’s programme. These manuscripts offer a platform for students to engage in scholarly publishing, providing a space for them to reflect on how practice-oriented research can yield meaningful, contextually informed design outcomes. This collection contributes to broader discussions about the role of creative practice in higher education and its potential to generate new insights and knowledge through design research.

GSR 1863: A practice-led research exploration revealing local and difficult histories through interactive publication design.

Madelaine Julia Janiga-Warren — 2024-10-19

This exegesis considers a practice-led research project that addresses the importance of remembering local histories through an exploration of the Great South Road. The project aims to utilise interactive publication design to visually communicate the largely unknown events that took place in the period surrounding the construction of the Great South Road in Aotearoa, and its significance in the eventual invasion of the Waikato by Crown Forces. The methodology involved in this research consisted of a historiographical approach coupled with heuristics, by employing methods such as historical and archival research, field work, and literature review. The visual aesthetic of the design system draws on experimental layout and the application of distressed, weathered textures to communicate and emulate a historical war-time aesthetic. The publication includes interactive elements in the form of inserted archival photographs and documents to promote deeper engagement, as well as rephotography features. The overarching aim of the research and its outcome is to address the ignorance of the difficult history of Aotearoa amongst many New Zealanders and shed light on the lasting repercussions of colonising events on our society today.

Single Handed: An investigation into how scrapbook-publications can be used to communicate disabled perspectives.

Mia Freeman — 2024-10-20

‘Single Handed’ is a practise-led project which investigates how scrapbook-publications can be used to communicate disabled perspectives. Situated in the context of disability culture and disability arts, where disability is used to describe barriers in society for people with impairments, Single Handed explores how scrapbooking techniques can be used to create imagery that shares disabled experiences. I utilise my knowledge and experiences as a disabled person through an autoethnographic approach to address and communicate my story through image-making techniques. This scrapbook-publication aims provide non-disabled people with a better understanding of what it means to be disabled.

A Deep Dive: Enhancing Swimmer’s Performance Through Journaling, Value-Based Performance, and Growth Mindset.

Blake Elliott — 2024-10-20

In ‘A Deep Dive’ I evaluate how journaling, editorial design, and tokens can be used to enhance swimmers’ performance. Becoming a high-performance swimmer requires a strong mindset to overcome challenging situations and perform at the highest level. As an aspiring high-performance swimmer, I have used personal experiences to develop a strategy to overcome these inherent challenges within the sport. Using an autoethnographic and reflective inquiry I incorporate methodologies’ such as drawing, prototyping, critical feedback, digital creation, and photography to bring this project to fruition. Drawing insights from contextual areas such as growth mindset, journaling, value-based performance, and the work of practitioner’s, Maritn Naumann, and Chris Harkin I have created three distinct artifacts: a mindset journal, a book, and five value tokens.

From Third Place: Illustrations and Observations of Connection in the Inner City

Grace Elizabeth Naylor — 2024-10-20

From Third Place is a practice-led project that explores the concept of third place in relation to society of the inner city, specifically Auckland CBD, using the traditional cultural anthropological methods of fieldwork and observational drawing to explore third places in Auckland. This project addresses the concept of third place and its role within society and the individual, reflecting on how we connect within our environment. This project is heavily influenced by my previous degree in cultural anthropology and art history. The inquiry is explored through the publication in three chapters of observational illustrations which focuses on the main third places used in everyday life by residents of Auckland CBD; cafes, parks, and pubs. The resulting publication is a series of snapshots of life in the city. The aims of this project is to explore connection of individuals in the city and celebrate the third places that facilitate them.

Cairn: Exploring Presence and Place through Reimagined Field Journals

Sophie Williamson — 2024-10-20

This practice-led research project explores a personal reconnection with the landscape of Aotearoa. It takes the form of eight stacked books which become symbolic "stones" within a "paper cairn”, employing the metaphor of a cairn to represent the marking of significant places. Each book implements elements of illustration, photography, and storytelling to evoke a sense of place and create an immersive exploration of a specific location in Aotearoa. Taking cues from the conventions of field journals as a genre of publication, Cairn takes a phenomenological approach to place, concerned with how a personal experience of each location might manifest visually. Woven throughout is an ode to New Zealand’s natural beauty and exploration off the beaten track.

MARIA MARIA! Exploring Filipina Identity Through Mixed-Media Graphic Design

Maria Pilar Cruz — 2024-10-20

This practice-led project explores Filipina Identity through mixed media graphic design, asking how two halves of a Pre and Post-Colonial female identity may exist in visual and narrative harmony. Through a series of seven assemblages, the practitioner takes the bold landscapes and bright, colourful creatures of Pre-Colonial Philippine mythology into the intensely sacred space of devotional shrines. In doing so, the project reviews key areas of Western Storytelling; Filipino Cubism; and 20th Century Assemblage. By using Western devices to frame indigenous content, the practitioner hopes to create a timeless, familiar narrative with a native twist.

Be Picky: Using communication design to create a brand identity, which is designed to educate young female adults on gut health.

Holly Craig — 2024-10-20

Using communication design to create a brand identity, which is designed to educate young female adults on gut health and encourage healthier eating. Be Picky is a healthy snack option that advocates for good gut health, by educating and encouraging consumers to make healthier food choices, all while healing their gut. In recent years, studies have shown there to be an evident decline in human gut health, due to the decrease in probiotic-rich foods present in our diets. This leads to poor life quality and a series of other health implications. However, this can be prevented with an increased intake of good bacterias and probiotics, commonly found in fermented foods such as pickles. Using digital illustration, linocut and branding exploration through communication design to create a pickle brand made to benefit your gut health, tailored to appeal to the younger female audience. This project heavily relates to my own experiences regarding gut health, and how a solution like this would greatly improve the quality of life for so many, by motivating others to improve and maintain a healthy gut.

Hungry Minds: How branding and communication design can educate students on the importance of a healthy diet for academic performance.

Ava Rawson — 2024-10-20

This project considers how branding can educate students on the importance of a healthy diet for academic performance. Using Communication design to create a brand identity, designed to educate teenagers and students on the importance of a nutritious diet for academic performance and encourage healthier food choices. Recognising the challenges that students face when trying to implement healthy meals within their busy schedules, this product serves as a valuable tool in creating an accessible solution to encourage healthier eating. Hungry Minds is a healthy meal kit, full of nutrients and fresh ingredients that help cognitive brain functions such as concentration and creativity. It is a convenient, accessible and inexpensive solution. In recent years, studies have shown there to be an evident relationship between diet and academic performance amongst students. Due to an increase in affordable and convenient processed meal options, students face a decline in cognitive brain functions used when studying, such as concentration and motivation, resulting in poorer quality of learning and life. However, this can be prevented with an increased intake of healthy nutrients, found in fresh ingredients. Using digital illustration, product design and branding through communication design to create a meal kit brand made to improve cognitive brain functions and educate an audience, catered towards students. This project relates to my personal experiences regarding diet and performance, and how a product like this would provide an accessible solution that would benefit the lives of many.

APT.5B – 2023 Time Capsule

Thammarat Bom Verkade — 2024-11-01

This practice-led, artistic project explores the conceptual idea of a book as an object. It is an exploration of materiality and a documentation of artefacts found in APT. 5B. The exegesis talks to the significance of time capsules and the longevity of materials, which cements an everlasting legacy. This capstone involves curating a time capsule which documents a time and place in my life through publication design. It delves into the process of prototyping, an exploration of materials, presented in a publication through an exhibit space. This project aims to stand the test of time, transporting the artefacts, centuries into the future to be discovered. It will act as a testament to the longevity of brutalist materials and the significance of documentation and cataloguing.

The Shabbat Table

Ella Mishan — 2024-10-20

This practice-led research and design project examines Jewish diasporic histories retold through food and cuisine. It employs illustration, motif, mapping and colour symbolism to create an environment akin to a Jewish home on Shabbat evening simultaneously commenting on serious topics to develop these ideas within the confinements of publication format. This project aims to develop a deeper level of awareness and understanding of the Jewish people amongst non-Jewish audiences, and other Jewish groups among Jewish audiences, bringing together these important conversations through food.

PANGAKO KO, (My Promise): How publication design can encourage cultural maintenance and reconnection within the Filipino Culture for Future Filipino Generations

Renier Manalili — 2024-11-02

“Pangako Ko” is a piece of work that is centred around the maintenance and acknowledgement of the Filipino cultural identity abroad through publication design. Based on my upbringing through the eyes of immigrant parents, provides nostalgic remembrance towards future enactment of the culture. The project aims to ground and reconnect Filipino individuals through the contextualization and critique of the culture from a second-generation point of view. The project grounds itself around the conceptual significance of family. The basis for this project is to foster and enact practices within the internal and external relationships of the culture through archival design. The methodological framework has a strong emphasis on an auto-ethnographic approach and heuristic inquiry. Resulting in a Z-Bind publication that communicates the framework of a second-generation Filipino through interactive, archival, photographic multi-page spreads.

Huong: Designing a Vietnamese Typeface which honours heritage and celebrates culture.

Abbey Luong — 2024-11-04

Through practice-led research, this project seeks to design a Vietnamese display typeface based on cultural identity and heritage. Huong is a typeface which synthesises cultural identity and traditions, showcased in the form of a printed type specimen and contextualised posters. Through understanding the significance of Vietnamese folk art and their orthography, the outcome was achieved through the process of field research, typeface building, prototyping and book binding. This project aims to celebrate the Vietnamese culture and honour my heritage as it tackles the question: How can I express my cultural identity through a Vietnamese display typeface? The Huong typeface extends an invitation to a wider audience to learn more about Vietnamese culture through the expression of typography.

St: Exploring Auckland's St James Theatre as liminal space and picturesque ruin using photography, letterforms, and book design.

Hillary Billie Fee — 2024-10-20

This practice-led artistic inquiry explores the relationship between letterforms and place. It asks the question: How can letterforms and book design conventions express the phenomenological experience of the eerie urban ruin? The conceptual framework for this research is of the ruin as liminal space sparking imagination and fascination. It embraces the Romanticism historically associated with ruins. St is framed as creative response to the experience of the ruin, centred around letterforms which emphasise the eerie through the interplay of negative and positive space. The resulting decorative alphabet references historic initial letters and illuminated manuscripts. This decorative alphabet is supported by a publication which investigates the history of the St James Theatre and its current derelict state using documentary photography and archival materials. The resulting work integrates text, image and story-telling, elevating letters to the Sublime, alongside architecture and humanity’s other artistic creations which the St James Theatre represents.