The AIGA DEC Steering Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2016–2017 Faculty Research Grants. After undergoing a rigorous external peer review process, the following proposals were selected to be funded for the current grant cycle. Congratulations!

Codex Design Foundations ($7,500)
Jessica Parris Westbrook and Adam Trowbridge
DePaul University, Chicago, Ill.
“Codex Design Foundations [proposes the development of] a series of project prompts and sample reference programs integrating formal design principles and fundamental computer programming concepts. As beginning graphic design students are learning form, pattern, space, color, sequence, systems, and interaction, they can also be learning coordinates, variables, arrays, incrementation, conditionals, recursion, and encapsulation. This proposal is not suggesting we turn graphic designers into programmers, it is suggesting that the integration of 21st century concepts and material in existing design education will provide graphic design students with the experiences and critical thinking skills that will keep them viable in a shifting professional landscape.”

Understanding Best Practices in Student-Operated, Faculty-Advised Campus Design Studios ($2,500)
Jessica Jacobs
Columbia College, Chicago, Ill.
“It is fairly common practice to operate student-run, faculty-advised graphic design studios on campus that serve both internal and external clients. Specifically, I am interested in studios in which students practice design for ‘real’ clients while obtaining college credit. Based on my experiences in recent presentations and conversations at design educators’ conferences, there is strong interest in the philosophy, approach, and logistics of these studios. However, there is a lack of scholarly research in their pedagogy, operations, and assessment. […] I propose a thorough inquiry and analysis of current campus design studio practices to create a suggested framework for learning outcomes and assessment. This project will be a rigorous, multi-method combination of qualitative and quantitative data gathering and analysis that will include scholarly research, surveys, interviews, site visits, and observations.”