Ulla Björklund
Changing the Old and Designing the New
Contradictions in Visual Communication Design
100475
Ulla Björklund's study looks at visual communication design processes as part of
larger change efforts and uses activity theory (Engeström 1987) for
locating change and depicting the context of the design process. In
order to solve complex design problems we need to draw from different
knowledge areas and ensure co-operation between different actors
(Seitamaa-Hakkarainen et al. 2017).
This
research seeks to understand what kind of historical contradictions are
present in the work of visual communication designers. This question
anchors deeper study into the contradictions behind the dilemmatic
visual update of The Magazine and the visual communication design of
Demos Helsinki.
The results of this study bring to light a historical contradiction in
visual communication design – how can craft skills be successfully
combined with collaborative processes and concept development? The
presence of craft-type of work, where unique products, informal
networks, and an individual way of working is common, is strongly
present in both case studies. Not only in the way that the designer
works but also in the surrounding context. Meanwhile, collaborative
processes and teamwork are also at the forefront, fostering process
enhancement and mass customization.
Read the doctoral thesis here