Bridging Theory and Practice: A Study of Research Methodologies in Visual Communication Education

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Hala Georges  

In the University of Sharjah's Visual Communication Department, students embark on various creative projects, in which conducting research plays an essential role in their studies. This includes informational, contextual, and visual research in addition to data collection and primary research. The research methods are largely quantitative, fitting with the field's needs. Although practice-based research (and vice versa) is a young discipline, the research and creative practice in our field are deeply entwined that the students are required to become proficient researchers to succeed as designers and achieve effective outcomes. This paper highlights two specific courses as case studies, which cover diverse social, political, and historical topics, examining the dynamics of research methods and how they direct the learning and the creative process. It explores the interaction between research and practice, demonstrating how each influence and shapes the other. This will be supported by presenting examples of students’ work, showcasing their investigative and visual research processes leading up to ideation, and followed by the design and production stages. The objective is to highlight research methodologies suitable for creative subjects, particularly visual communication, and to examine the research approaches to creativity within this field.