Forgotten: an autoethnographic exploration of belonging through Graphic Design

Authors

  • Kexin Shan Auckland University of Technology
  • Marcos Mortensen Steagall Auckland University of Technology

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29147/datjournal.v8i1.690

Keywords:

Autoethnography, Belonging, Design Research, Poetic writing, Self-Narrative

Abstract

This article presents a practice-led artistic research project that asks: How to represent an international Chinese student’s sense of belonging (or not belonging) through the aesthetics of visual poetry? The project looked into concrete poetry as a visual strategy to develop a design outcome consisting of two publications using an experimental typographic layout and two corresponding posters. This research employs autoethnography and heuristic inquiry as a methodological approach to the creative process to achieve high levels of originality. Based on personal experience, this research project explores the lack of sense of belonging faced by a Chinese student in an unfamiliar place when initially studying in Aotearoa New Zealand. In a design response to this temporary loss of belonging, the project investigated profiled individuals to analyse two specific negative emotions: restless and lonely. In addition, the study applies poetic writing to self-narrative to enhance the potential of personal expression, metaphorically telling stories while creating a visual typographic artefact that breaks with the traditional written prose form. The project is a retrospective of the self, graphically articulating two unforgettable emotions arising from two of the most profound periods affecting the researcher. On the one hand, the project takes a further step towards self-understanding and helps the viewer understand the issues of belonging experienced by Chinese students in a foreign country. On the other hand, it contributes to the discussion of autoethnography and heuristic inquiry to achieve originality in graphic design.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Kexin Shan, Auckland University of Technology

Kexin Shan is a postgrad international student from China living in New Zealand and a visual communication designer. She holds an undergraduate degree in communication design from Auckland University of Technology and is pursuing a Master’s in design. Research interests range from autoethnographic research in graphic design and heuristics methodologies.

Marcos Mortensen Steagall, Auckland University of Technology

Marcos Mortensen Steagall is an Associate Professor in the Communication Design department at the Auckland University of Technology - AUT since 2016. He is the Communication Design Postgraduate Strand Leader and Programme Leader for Communication Design and Interaction Design for Year 3. He holds a Master’s (2000) and PhD (2006) in Communication & Semiotics acquired from The Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, Brazil, and a PhD in Art & Design from Auckland University of Technology in 2019.

References

Bray, J. (2012). Concrete poetry and prose. In The Routledge Companion to Experimental Literature (pp. 261–273). https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203116968-30/concrete-poetry-prose-joe-bray

Brown, R. & Mortensen Steagall, M. (2023). Painting the Kitchen Tables: Exploring women's domestic creative spaces through publication design. Design, Art and Technology Journal, Vol. 8 No. 1, forthcoming.

Chambers, J. & Mortensen Steagall, M. (2023). Second Nature, a Practice-led Design Investigation into Consumerism Responding to Sustainable Home Habits. Design, Art and Technology Journal, Vol. 8 No. 1, forthcoming.

Clüver, C. (2000). Concrete poetry and the new performance arts: Intersemiotic, intermedia, intercultural. East of West, 33–61. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-62624-3_3

Djuraskovic, I., & Arthur, N. (2010). Heuristic inquiry: A personal journey of acculturation and identity reconstruction, qualitative report, 2010-nov. Qualitative Report, 15(6), 1569–1593.

Draper, R. P. (1971). Concrete poetry. New Literary History, 2(2), 329–340. https://doi.org/10.2307/468606

Falconer, T. & Mortensen Steagall, M. (2023). Grounding: A Practice-led Graphic Exploration of Ecofeminism, Wellbeing and Ecological Consciousness. Design, Art and Technology Journal, Vol. 8 No. 1, forthcoming.

Huang, T., Nie, R., & Zhao, Y. (2020). Archival knowledge in the field of personal archiving: An exploratory study based on grounded theory. Journal of Documentation, 77(1), 19–40. https://doi.org/10.1108/jd-04-2020-0071

Huang, Y. (2022). ‘Dual exclusion’ and constructing a ‘bridging’ space: Chinese phd students in New Zealand. The Palgrave Handbook of Imposter Syndrome in Higher Education, 143–158. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86570-2_9

Karim, R. A., Abu, A. G., & Khaja, F. N. M. (2016). Brainstorming approach and mind mapping in writing activity. Proceedings of English Education International Conference, 1(2), 423–429. https://doi.org/83

Kothari, C. R. (1990). Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. 7–9. https://doi.org/http://lms.aambc.edu.et:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/212/Research%20Methodology%20Methods%20and%20Techniques%20(%20PDFDrive%20).pdf?sequence=1

Le Roux, C. S. (2016). Exploring rigour in autoethnographic research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology , 20(2), 195–207. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2016.1140965

Lewis, S. & Mortensen Steagall, M. (2023). Less than 5mm — The unseen threat: An investigation into how micro-plastics effect coral reefs. Design, Art and Technology Journal, Vol. 8 No. 1, forthcoming.

Li, Q. & Mortensen Steagall, M. (2023). Memories from COVID-19: A practice-led research about the lockdown through the perspective of a Chinese student. Design, Art and Technology Journal, Vol. 8 No. 1, forthcoming.

Liu, J. (2001). Asian students’ classroom communication patterns in U.S. universities: An emic perspective (pp. 10–83). Greenwood Publishing Group.

Lum, K. & Mortensen Steagall, M. (2023). Breakthrough: An illustrated autoethnographic narrative into professional identity and storytelling. Design, Art and Technology Journal, Vol. 8 No. 1, forthcoming.

Mahar, A. L., Cobigo, V., & Stuart, H. (2012). Conceptualizing belonging. Disability and Rehabilitation, 35(12), 1026–1032. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638288.2012.717584

Manning, J., & Adams, T. E. (2015). Popular culture studies and autoethnography: An essay on method. Huskie Commons, 3(12), 187–221.

Masika, R., & Jones, J. (2015). Building student belonging and engagement: insights into higher education students’ experiences of participating and learning together. Teaching in Higher Education , 21(2), 138–150. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2015.1122585

Li, Q. & Mortensen Steagall, M. (2023). Memories from COVID-19: A practice-led research about the lockdown through the perspective of a Chinese student. Design, Art and Technology Journal, Vol. 8 No. 1, forthcoming.

Lum, K. & Mortensen Steagall, M. (2023). Breakthrough: An illustrated autoethnographic narrative into professional identity and storytelling. Design, Art and Technology Journal, Vol. 8 No. 1, forthcoming.

Michie, K., & Mortensen Steagall, M. (2021). From Shadow: a practice-led design research on academic anxiety. DAT Journal, 6(1), 339–354. https://doi.org/10.29147/dat.v6i1.345

Mortensen Steagall, M. (2022). Immersive Photography: a review of the contextual knowledge of a PhD practice-led research project. Revista GEMInIS, 13(2), 73-80. doi:10.53450/2179-1465.rg.2022v13i2p73-80

Mortensen Steagall, M. (2021). Reflections on digital image and contemporaneity. Revista GEMInIS, 12(2), 241-250. doi:10.53450/2179-1465.RG.2021v12i2p241-250

Mortensen Steagall, M. (2020). Conceptual images in advertising: Premises of the advertising image powered by technology and interactivity. Convergencias : Revista de Investigacao e Ensino das Artes, XIII (26).

Mortensen Steagall, M., & Ings, W. (2018). Practice-led doctoral research and the nature of immersive methods / Pesquisa de doutorado practice-led e a natureza dos métodos imersivos. DAT Journal, 3(2), 392-423. doi:10.29147/dat.v3i2.98

Mortensen Steagall, M. (2019). The process of immersive photography: Beyond the cognitive and the physical (Doctoral dissertation, Auckland University of Technology).

Mpofu, N., & Mortensen Steagall, M. (2021). Uhlola kweNdebele: Reconnecting Zimbabwe Through Typographic Design. 8TRANSVERSO, ANO 9, N. 10, AGOSTO 2021ISSN: 2236-4129, 9(10), 8-16.

Moustakas, C. E. (1990). Heuristic research: Design, methodology, and applications. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. . https://books.google.co.nz/books?hl=zh-CN&lr=&id=y3HwBQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA9&dq=Heuristic+research:+Design,+methodology,+and+applications.&ots=QHQRQf_aP5&sig=fFATgQlPUWrqdRSse6CFud4JVtE&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Heuristic%20research%3A%20Design%2C%20methodology%2C%20and%20applications.&f=false

Perloff, M. (n.d.). Writing as Re-Writing: Concrete Poetry as Arrière-Garde. https://doi.org/https://www.lehman.cuny.edu/ciberletras/v17/perloff.htm

Richardson, L. (2000). Evaluating ethnography. 6(2), 253–255. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/107780040000600207

Starr, L. J. (2010). The use of autoethnography in educational research: Locating who we are in what we do. Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education/ Revue Canadienne Des Jeunes Chercheures et Chercheurs En Éducation, 3(1). https://doi.org/30477

Van Vliet, D., & Mortensen Steagall, M., (2020). Duregraph: a study of duration in the post photographic image. DAT Journal, 5(3), 250–262. https://doi.org/10.29147/dat.v5i3.234

Wang, X. (2017). The “nature” in the poetry writing (pp. 5–34). https://cdmd.cnki.com.cn/Article/CDMD-10602-1017112623.htm

Wang, X., & Zhu, Y. (2010). Narrative style, self-perspective and self-development. Advances in Psychological Science, 18(12). https://doi.org/https://journal.psych.ac.cn/adps/EN/abstract/abstract949.shtml

Xiao, M. (2021). Chinese international graduate students at Canadian universities: Language barriers, cultural identities and perceived problems of engagement. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2021.1941318

Yuval-Davis, N. (2006). Belonging and the politics of belonging. Patterns of Prejudice, 40(3), 197–214. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313220600769331

Downloads

Published

2023-03-15

How to Cite

Shan, K., & Mortensen Steagall, M. (2023). Forgotten: an autoethnographic exploration of belonging through Graphic Design. DAT Journal, 8(1), 293–335. https://doi.org/10.29147/datjournal.v8i1.690