Apresentação Pessoal

Post-doctoral researcher

Research interests

The role of culture in graphic communication, cross-cultural design, globalization and design, ethical design, design and cultural sustainability, and visual ethnographic methods and its application to communication design.

Current research

My research is focused on the ethical implications of Global design. Global design is a recent phenomenon that can be understood as design targeted at a global audience, which aims to be exhibited to and consumed by different cultures. This research looks into how can graphic designers globalise graphic design in an ethical manner without giving rise to breakdowns in communication and threatening cultural diversity.

Although some authors argue that it is just not possible to globalise graphic design, it is improbable that globalisation and global design will vanish. Therefore, we are not facing a question of whether or not to produce global design, but of whether or not we should carry out global design in a professional and ethical manner. After assessing the current state of graphic design culture, by looking both at graphic design education and practice, the study concluded that the practice is in particular need of ethical guidance, specifically on the topic of global design.

This research argues that the first crucial step designers need to take when dealing with global design in a professional and ethical manner is to acknowledge its existence and distinctive nature, as well as its communicative, cultural and ethical challenges and implications. This research attempts to fill this gap, advancing a conceptual understanding of global design and the different forms and categories it embodies: standard, multicultural and localisation. It concludes by suggesting possible approaches graphic designers might pursue in acting globally, aiming to define future directions for more professional and ethical global graphic design practice. 

Recent research

• 2010 – "Towards a Global Design Taxonomy" Design conference Glide'10.
• 2009 - Seminar lecture ‘Global Design Ethics’ - Goldsmiths College, University of London.
• 2008 - Communication ‘Explorations: Design Practice and Design Research’ - Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design.
• 2008 - Public Lecture: ‘Universal Themes in Design’ at the ESE, Escola Superior de Educacção Viana, Portugal.
• 2007 - PhD Forum presentation: ‘Global Design, a journey into my research’, Department of Design at the London College of Communicarion, University of the Arts London.
• 2006 - Conference communication: ‘Ethical implications of Design for a Global Audience’. Wonderground, International Design Research Conference, Lisbon, Portugal.
• 2004 - Magazine article: ‘Global Design: is one design good for all?’ NESHAN - Iranian Graphic Design Magazine - Number 3.
• 2004 – Communication ‘Designing for a local world’- Department of Design at the Goldsmiths College, University of London.
• 2003 - Conference communication Design and Culture - International Conference of Icograda (International Council of Graphic Designers), Istanbul, Turkey.
• 2002 - Conference communication ‘Social Design’- Regional Meeting of Icograda, Barcelona, Spain.

Email:

susanaxbarreto@gmail.com