Professional graphic design knowledge in Hong Kong: from graduate to professional

Abstract

This article investigates the scope of graphic design professional knowledge in practice, and questions whether the knowledge and training provided at university are sufficient for graduates to become design professionals in Hong Kong. Official reports indicate that Hong Kong designers’ competence is limited to skills of execution, contributing in general to a low standard of professionalism due to a lack of professional knowledge. Three kinds of respondents were involved in the study: graduate graphic designers, design firm employers, and design academics. The study relied on a mixed method approach, with the qualitative interview method as the core qualitative component and a survey as the supplementary quantitative component. Findings reveal the similarity of views held by the academics, employers and graduate designers interviewed: ‘A professional designer is knowledgeable and performs well in both internal and external environment.’ However, the graduate designers believe that aesthetic appearance and styling are the most important aspects of professional graphic design practice, which are above other knowledge aspects that help graphic design to function, such as marketing, business strategies and user’s psychology. In addition, there is a ‘knowledge gap’ acknowledged by academics and graduates from academic training to practice. The academics and employers in Hong Kong are not sensitive enough to value the importance of such knowledge and training for graduates. The quantitative findings of this study truly reflect the criticism of Frascara: the historical development of graphic design has long overemphasized the importance of aesthetic appearance, styling and visual structure and neglected the importance of functionality. The results also highlight/draw attention to challenging areas worthy of future research: the content of graphic design professional knowledge and its professionalism in Hong Kong. Such research may unveil survival strategies for the graphic design profession.

Keywords:

• Graphic design knowledge
• graduate training
• professional practice
• Hong Kong

Notes

1. Heskett, Design Task Force Report.

2. Hong Kong Design Institute, Prospectus 2011–12.

3. Heskett, Design Task Force Report, 29.

4. See note 1.

5. See note 3.

6. ICOGRADA, “Definition of Communication Design”.

7. See note 1.

8. Hong Kong Design Centre. A Study on the Framework.

9. Siu, “Redeveloping Design Education”; Lam, Design for Sustainable Curriculum.

10. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, The DesignSmart Research.

11. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, The DesignSmart Research, 20.

12. Schein, Professional Education; Argyris & Schön, Theory in Practice; Eraut, Developing Professional Knowledge and “Concepts of Competence”; Boshuizen, Expertise Development; Tuomi-Grohn et al., Between School and Work; Smeby, "Connecting to Professional Knowledge”; Asian Development Bank, Improving Transitions from School.

13. Eraut, Developing Professional Knowledge and “Concepts of Competence”; Boshuizen, Expertise Development; Tuomi-Grohn et al., Between School and Work; Smeby, “Connecting to Professional Knowledge.”

14. See note 1 above.

15. See note 2 above.

16. Triggs,“Graphic Design History”; Eskilson, Graphic Design a History.

17. van der Waarde, On Graphic Design, 11.

18. van der Waarde, On Graphic Design.

19. Cheung, Competent Graphic Designer.

20. Frascara, Communication Design.

21. Morse and Niehaus, Mixed Method Design; Tashakkori and Teddlie, Foundations of Mixed Methods.

22. Merriam, Qualitative Research.

23. Merriam, Qualitative Research, 59.

24. Larson, The Rise of Professionalism, x.

25. Grunig, “Collectivism, Collaboration”.

26. Aynsley, J. Graphic Design in Germany; McCoy, “Education and Professionalism”; Frascara, “Graphic Design”; Drucker and McVarish, Graphic Design History.

27. See note 18.

28. McCoy, “Education and Professionalism”; Twemlow, A. “End of History?”; Frascara, “Graphic Design”.