Managing Heuristics as a Method of Inquiry in Autobiographical Graphic Design Theses

Abstract

This paper draws on case studies undertaken in postgraduate research at AUT University.It seeks to address a number of issues related to heuristic inquiries employed by graphic design students who use autobiographical approaches when developing research-based theses. For this type of thesis heuristics as a system of inquiry may provide a useful approach because it engages the researcher in a process that affirms imagination, intuition, subjectivity and forms of creative/critical/reflective problem solving. When employed as a framework, heuristics offers a rewarding but challenging system for connecting investigation with the researcher's personal experience. This article provides a discussion of heuristic's applications, limitations and advantages in relation to a number of recent postgraduate theses in graphic design. Through this, it seeks to provide a useful reflection on challenges and opportunities inherent within it as a system of inquiry. Key words

The boundaries of education: using mobile devices for connecting people to places

“…A heuristic inquiry offers an approach where one may evaluate and adapt the research process as required (Ings 2011;Schön 1991). Working through practice as well as the internal pathways of the self, the participant-as-researcher applies tacit knowledge, life experiences and aesthetic sensibilities to generate new perspectives (Douglass and Moustakas 1985;Scrivener 2000).…”

Heuristic inquiry: Differentiated from descriptive phenomenology and aligned with transpersonal research methods.

“…Similarly, heuristic inquiry is of course autobiographical, in which the researcher's personal experience becomes data, and is continually shaping the work. Ings (2011), a doctoral supervisor of heuristic inquiry, poignantly described this aspect in the research of one of his students: "Any critique he offered on his work could not be divorced from a critique of himself " (p. 234).…”

Transitando pela investigação artística em uma tese de produção criativa

“…117 Welby Ings argues that, "without some form of external feedback, purely self-referenced processes can result in designs that fail to explore a wealth of available options or fall short of their communicative potential." 118 Therefore, although certain syntheses in work were processed internally, the researcher also sought feedback from external parties. To maintain the idiosyncratic voice in her work, she filtered this feedback by focusing it using framed questions relating to narrative clarity and interpretation.…”

“…This can result in a work in the final stages of its realisation, losing much of its integrity and idiosyncratic 'voice'. 120 In this thesis study the researcher moved between internal critique and external feedback. In the former phase she employed visualisation as a form of narrative and stylistic overview and in the later she utilised formal critiques of work in progress.…”

“…Welby Ings argumenta que, "sem alguma forma de feedback externo, processos puramente auto referenciados podem resultar em projetos que não exploram uma grande variedade de opções disponíveis ou que ficam aquém de seu potencial comunicativo". 55 Portanto, embora certas sínteses no trabalho tenham sido processadas internamente, a pesquisadora também buscou feedbacks externos. Para manter a voz idiossincrática em seu trabalho, ela filtrou esses feedbacks, concentrando-o em utilizar perguntas relacionadas à clareza e interpretação narrativa.…”