Fourteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

This abstract presents a case study of a project between a professor of graphic design (PGD), with a severe communication disability and a speech language pathologist (SLP), and their collaboration to maintain PGD’s employment status. PGD sought treatment in a speech therapy clinic for long-standing neurogenic stuttering, a rare condition following stroke with accompanying aphasia. PGD’s complex communication needs far exceeded strategies and tools currently offered. Design theories organized and advanced the application of frameworks that included medical-rehabilitative, clinical ethnography, Vygotskian, multimodal literacies and cognitive linguistics. Ethnographic investigation revealed privileged modes of oral and written communication. A variety of language practices, preferences and mediational means that contributed to communication breakdowns, inefficiencies and frustrations were observed in classroom interactions. A design-centric intervention approach was implemented to enhance PGD’s teaching interactions with his students. Ethnography revealed a shared foundation in figurative language (i.e, metaphor and metonymy) between spoken communication and the visual multimodal student compositions in progress. This research allowed for the evolution of innovative design methodologies for mediating communicative interactions. Conceptual Metaphor Theory provided a framework for establishing explicit connections between oral and visual multimodal compositions. This allowed multimodal aspects of each course project in development while also constructing a new pedagogy for PGD. The students abilities to verbalize their intentions and struggles in conceptualizing their compositions were also improved. We continue to explore the potential of design practices to develop multimodal semiotic resources, tools and practices to positively impact all disabling aspects of the human condition.