Foundation Courses for Communication Design

Our research would contribute to evidence the multiplicity of different approaches in teaching Communication Design for first year courses. It starts from the premise that there could be a direct link among the discipline of Communication Design, the teaching and learning theory and the contexts of learning. The research, developed through an empirical work, takes into consideration three purposes: 1.the construction of a local interpretative model, able of systematising and structuring different connections and specificity of the Communication Design Education (analysis of methods in the context of first year Laboratories of Visual Communication at the Politecnico di Milano); 2.the confrontation of these methods in a global context (the most important Design Schools in Italy, Europe and Australia); 3. the development of a set of conceptual devices (web site, mapping on line…) that could help teachers to approach the complexity of the teaching system.. Operatively, the research aimed to collecting some interesting examples of best works from graphic design students (of foundation courses in Communication Design) around the world, through the analysis of contents, themes, tools and methodologies and using them as cultural prototypes and initiative promoters for the generation of a new culture and a new teaching method. Beside the operative side of the research, we are developing a conceptual framework, based on many interdisciplinary contributions, coming in particular from basic design, semiotic approach, project culture, psychology, perceptive laws, history of art, in attempt to bring out and integrate theoretical approaches into design practice and education. The main objective of the research is to understand propaedeutical methodologies to teach Visual Design and how to spread the best practices already existent but not yet visible.