The purpose of this study is, first, to determine the justification for a graphic arts program in the institutions of higher learning, and, second,--if such a program is justified--to formulate a curriculum designed to fulfill the needs of the student and the printing industry.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master’s in Graphic Design, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / The primary objective of this study was to find out how practising graphic designers maintain creativity in a digital environment. The study also investigated three factors that may positively influence their creativity. First, whether practising creative experimentation outside commercial constraints positively impacts a designer's ability to produce creative design. Second, how drawing assists original design. Third, whether enriching sensory stimulation helps graphic designers maintain creativity. An action research method was used. The project reviewed current literature and gathered empirical data through qualitative interviews and a workshop. In addition, a practical component was developed that consisted of drawings made from observation, drawings as concept experiments and examples of a commercial design and illustration. Results proved that creativity is a multifaceted phenomenon, and it plays a pivotal role in contemporary graphic design. The three factors, practising creative experimentation, drawing, and sensory enrichment, proved to be beneficial to the creative abilities of graphic designers. The study concluded by acknowledging the challenges of the digital era within the field, and the importance for practising graphic designers to maintain creativity.

This document voices the story of siting and constructing a hidden, "squatted studio" space within a bridge superstructure over the White River in downtown Anderson, Indiana. It includes interpretations of this "build-design-build" project; a field study (CapAsia) in Sri Lanka with faculty and students from the University of Moratuwa; and the author's work alongside undergraduate design students and faculty colleagues at Anderson University, Anderson, Indiana. The project documents and extends occasions of experience that inform a pedagogy of total loss teaching. The `squatted studio' is presented as architectural form and practice congruent with a total loss approach to learning understood by these statements: there is nothing to gain by total loss teaching as there is no profit in it-waste nothing, and make useful everything at hand. The subversive transformation of materials and space by communities of learners illuminates the affects of total loss teaching. / Department of Architecture

Approved for public release, distribution unlimited / The individuals charged with the task of planning, developing and implementing force protection measures both at the unit and installation level must consider numerous factors in formulating the best defensive posture. Currently, force protection professionals utilize multiple sources of information regarding capabilities of systems that are available, and combine that knowledge with the requirements of their installation to create an overall plan. A crucial element missing from this process is the ability to determine, prior to system procurement, the most effective combination of systems and employment for a wide range of possible terrorist attack scenarios. This thesis is inspired by the work done by James Harney, LT, USN (2003). The thesis will expand the Anti-Terrorism Force Protection Tool developed during the original thesis by including the capability of testing force protection measures in multiple scenarios by utilizing models of force protection equipment and forces, virtual worlds of existing naval facilities, and terrorist agents that exhibit intent and behavioral characteristics which can test the effectiveness of the force protection equipment used. The result of this work is a scalable and repeatable methodology for generating large-scale, agent-based simulations for AT/FP problem domains providing 3D visualization, report generation, and statistical analysis.

This thesis is about storytelling. It is presented in three parts, a major output with two supporting components. The first and primary section is the short film. The second is an exhibition of images, props, and environments created for the work. The third is the exegesis. Situated as creative practice, the project tests and develops structural and aesthetic hypotheses in the creation of a non-spoken film text. These hypotheses are shaped by considerations from two areas.The first is design for narrative music video. An analysis of selected texts leads to a creative reconsideration of the role and profile of imagery, space, time, sound, enigma, closure, and narrative voice. The second area is typography. Reflecting on the anti-language, bogspeak, and the culture that has given rise to its development, the thesis develops inaudible typographical voices that operate as narrative contributions to the film.These two areas of consideration support a unique way of telling stories. This is significant because emerging uses of short film now take these texts beyond the theatre. They are marketed as commercially available stories in their own right. As distribution companies are formatting them on DVDs, viewers are seeing these stories not once, but many times. It is useful therefore, for the design of such texts to consider alternative methods of narration that might work to preserve the durability and complexity of their stories as they unravel over repeated screenings.

This thesis examines the re-emergence of the design manifestos since the 1990s to articulate what these manifestos tell us about the morality of design. By doing so, I have hypothesised that these manifestos offer moral dimensions to design by espousing ethical, social and civic values. These moral dimensions invite specifically, graphic designers to look closely at their actions as design agents and to incorporate research, theory and practice as a unit of design process. In so doing, the graphic designer will work towards a user-centred outcome while showing sensitivity to their society, culture, politics, technologies and natural environments. This thesis also presents my project explorations drawn from my hypothesis of the moral dimensions of design to extract insight to the graphic design process and practice encouraged by the six manifestos. This highlights that design offers infinite possibilities within any given context to the community of users and determines that the incorporation of responsibility must be part of everyday design practice. / Master of Arts (Hons)

An Examination of Print and Web Graphics’ Effect on Readers’ Recall Specific research regarding how information graphics, which are defined as charts, maps or diagrams, in print and online affect readers’ recall and understanding of information is scarce at best and at times, even contradictory. Previous print research suggests that information graphics does improve readers’ recall. Online graphics research notes that the freedom of the Web allows readers to learn more efficiently than traditional media. While, other research notes that the Web’s freedom causes users to spend more effort on orienting themselves with the Web site, and therefore, users don’t learn efficiently. This study examined whether the presentation of information graphics affects readers’ recall and found no statistical significance between readers’ recall scores who had read a print graphic and those who read an online graphic. / Department of Journalism

In the environmental design professions, many students and practitioners lack confidence in visual communication skills, especially in the case of quick perspective sketching. For many, sketching as a beneficial design tool is not fully learned or appreciated.This study explores sketching fundamentals and a teaching technique to promote perspective sketching as an effective design tool. Experimental workshops were conducted with various beginning environmental design students in three universities. Students responded to a post-workshop questionnaire which attempted to solicit feedback about the demonstrated sketching technique as to whether the technique 1) increased their ability, 2) increased their confidence, 3) increased their enjoyment, and 4) increased their willingness to pursue sketching in the future. Students were also evaluated on the degree of improvement according to simplicity, clarity and proper perspective setting of their sketches.The results suggested that the workshop, teaching methods and sketching techniques were successful. Students showed marked improvement and indicated in the questionnaire that they enjoyed the experience and were pleased with their new skills. They also indicated a positive feeling about the teaching methods and the sketching techniques. / Department of Landscape Architecture

There is no abstract available for this thesis.

This thesis is about storytelling. It is presented in three parts, a major output with two supporting components. The first and primary section is the short film. The second is an exhibition of images, props, and environments created for the work. The third is the exegesis. Situated as creative practice, the project tests and develops structural and aesthetic hypotheses in the creation of a non-spoken film text. These hypotheses are shaped by considerations from two areas.The first is design for narrative music video. An analysis of selected texts leads to a creative reconsideration of the role and profile of imagery, space, time, sound, enigma, closure, and narrative voice. The second area is typography. Reflecting on the anti-language, bogspeak, and the culture that has given rise to its development, the thesis develops inaudible typographical voices that operate as narrative contributions to the film.These two areas of consideration support a unique way of telling stories. This is significant because emerging uses of short film now take these texts beyond the theatre. They are marketed as commercially available stories in their own right. As distribution companies are formatting them on DVDs, viewers are seeing these stories not once, but many times. It is useful therefore, for the design of such texts to consider alternative methods of narration that might work to preserve the durability and complexity of their stories as they unravel over repeated screenings.