Vaal University of Technology

Based in southern Gauteng, Vaal University of Technology draws students from all regions of the country as well as 25 other countries. It is one of the largest universities of technology in South Africa, with an annual enrolment of about 21 000 students. The University is well positioned to make a substantial contribution to the development of human capital in the southern Gauteng region, the country and the continent.

The Visual Arts and Design (VAD) Department comprises four disciplines: Graphic Design, Fashion Design, Photography and Fine Art.

Considering "design with intent" within graphic design at a University of Technology

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Graphic Design & Visual Art

Although based in various design disciplines the concept of user centred design (UCD) and "design with intent" has been linked to the notion of "human-centred principles", "design for behavioural change", "persuasion technologies" and "interaction design" at international design institutions for some time.

Understanding how user behaviour can influence technological solutions is critical for designers wishing to effectively tackle social issues such as eco-solutions, effective wayfinding design as well as the design of information brochures/pamphlets. Designers influence behaviour from a distance through the creative products and services that are produced based on their understanding of user behaviour.

Pre-Tech-Man

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Design Education Research

This paper questions how we teach and practise within our various specialities without a holistic understanding of the self and our humanity.

Mirror-Mirror-On The Wall

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Design Education Research

A Structured Reflection Framework To Implement Visual Research As Practise-Based Arts
Research Design Illustrated Within An Applied Photographic Educational Context

Although various South African universities engage with art practice research methodologies, the research designs employed have not been clearly articulated or interrogated as of yet, leaving some work to be done towards answering Loxley and Prosser’s (2005) call for a refinement of arts-based research methods.

Documentary photography and indigenous knowledge: some methodological challenges

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Photography, Film & Multimedia

The paper focuses on the role that documentary photographs may play in indigenous knowledge research. Visual methods, or qualitative research where visual images play an integral part of the study design, have the advantage that power imbalances between the researcher and the study population are typically low in comparison to more conservative research designs, especially when the visual material is produced by the members of the study population themselves.

The paper specifically discusses methodological aspects of scenarios where

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