Associate Professor James Corazzo NTF
Teaching & Learning Portfolio Lead & Principal Lecturer Graphic Design
- Department of Art and Design
- Art Design and Media Research Centre
- Culture and Creativity Research Institute
Summary
I believe design, designers and design education have the power to shape equitable and transformative futures, and this drives my teaching and research into design education and its people (students and academics), places (studios, the art schools, policies, and corridors), and things (curricula, materials, and dialogues). I am a National Teaching Fellow, co-founder of the Graphic Design Educators’ Network, and the Teaching and Learning Portfolio Lead for the Art & Design Department, where I work alongside creative academics on all things related to education.
About
I approach graphic design as a communication framework through which our ideas about the world are socially and materially constructed and shared. Graphic Design gives visual forms to ideas and ways of interacting with the world. As designers, we can use this framework to reproduce the same ways of saying and selling things, or we can use it to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and seed new possibilities for society and culture.
Specialist areas of interest
Graphic Design
Graphic Design Education
The Studio
Publication design
Actor-Network Theory and post-humanist theories
Teaching
College of Social Sciences and Arts
Subject area
I am part of the Visual Communication Subject Area.
Courses
I teach the BA (Hons) Graphic Design and BA (Hons) Graphic Design User Experience (UX) courses.
Modules
Graphic Design in Context
Research
I research design education and its people, places and things. I use various creative and ethnographic methods to explore how bodies, discourses and objects come together to make particular kinds of design education and particular ways of knowing. I am currently working on four research projects:
• Co-authoring a field guide to Studio Education (published in spring 2024),
• Establishing a network to unfold the potentials of graphic design research,
• Researching the role of informal learning and materiality in the design studio
• Documenting self-organising, paragogic and cybernetic educational models
Publications
Key Publications
Corazzo, J. (2022). Studio through studio: A diffractive reading of the educational design studio. DRS Conference Proceedings. http://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2022.576
Corazzo, J., & Gharib, L. (2021). Everyday routines and material practices in the design studio: why informal pedagogy matters. Design and Technology Education: An International Journal, 26 (4), 144-164. https://ojs.lboro.ac.uk/DATE/article/view/2999
Corazzo, J., Harland, R., Honnor, A., & Rigley, S. (2019). The challenges for graphic design in establishing an academic research culture: lessons from the Research Excellence Framework 2014. The Design Journal. http://doi.org/10.1080/14606925.2019.1682446
Journal articles
Corazzo, J. (2019). CRITS: a student Manual, by Terry Barrett. Design Journal, 1-4. http://doi.org/10.1080/14606925.2019.1592307
Corazzo, J. (2016). Communication Design: Insights from the Creative Industries (Book Review). Arts, Design and Communication in Higher Education, 15 (1), 103-104. http://doi.org/10.1386/adch.15.1.103_5
Burns, J., Corazzo, J., Hardie, K., Harland, R., & Raven, D. (2015). Graphic Design Educators' Network: Re-establishing the purpose and value of a graphic design subject association. Arts, Design and Communication in Higher Education, 14 (2), 199-205. http://doi.org/10.1386/adch.14.2.199_3
Corazzo, J. (2012). An active form of surrender: teaching in higher education. Networks, 17. http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/projects/networks/issue-17-april-2012/an-active-form-of-surrender-teaching-in-higher-education
Corazzo, J. (2010). A design agency goes back to college; A new model for collaboration. Icograda. http://www.icograda.org/education
Conference papers
Corazzo, J., Hudson, F., & Jones, D. (2024). Unfixing the Studio. In Corazzo, J., Jones, D., Noel, L.-.A., Lotz, N., Clemente, V., Nielsen, L.M., & Börekç, N.A.G.Z. (Eds.) Learn X Design 2023 Futures of Design Education, Online by the Open University, UK, 1 September 2023. Design Research Society: http://doi.org/10.21606/drslxd.2024.057
Corazzo, J., Hudson, F., & Jones, D. (2024). Unfixing the Studio. In Corazzo, J., Jones, D., Noel, L.-.A., Lotz, N., Clemente, V., Nielsen, L.M., & Börekç, N.A.G.Z. (Eds.) Learn X Design 2023 Futures of Design Education, Online by the Open University, UK, 1 September 2023. Design Research Society: http://doi.org/10.21606/drslxd.2024.057
Corazzo, J. (2020). In the midst of things: a spatial account of teaching in the design studio. Research & Education in Design: People & Processes & Products & Philosophy, 93-100. http://doi.org/10.1201/9781003046103-11
Corazzo, J. (2019). Sofa Pedagogy. In Learning, Teaching and Assessment Conference: Connected Curriculum, Sheffield Hallam University, 9 September 2019. Sheffield Hallam University
Corazzo, J. (2019). Spaces of comfort and discomfort in the graphic design studio. In Graphic Design Educators’ Network Annual Conference: Time and Space, University of West of England, 5 September 2019 - 6 September 2019.
Corazzo, J. (2019). Materialising the Studio. A systematic review of the role of the material space of the studio in Art, Design and Architecture Education. The Design Journal, 1249-1265. http://doi.org/10.1080/14606925.2019.1594953
Harland, R., Corazzo, J., Gwilt, I., Honnor, A., & Rigley, S. (2018). Graphic design research: a cause for the concerned. DRS 2018, 2811-2821. http://doi.org/10.21606/dma.2017.389
Corazzo, J., Shaw, B., & Harrington, J. (2017). Studio inside, studio outside: Elasticity. In ELIA: Exploring Elasticity in Teaching and Learning in the Arts, Central St Martins, University of the Arts, London, 5 July 2017 - 7 July 2017. http://www.elia-artschools.org/userfiles/File/customfiles/elia-academy-2017-programme_20170626151752.pdf
Corazzo, J. (2016). Here be dragons: students’ accounts of mapping graphic design and the expanded field. In GLAD – Pedagogic Research Network Symposium 2016, Coventry University, 7 June 2016. https://visualartsresearch.wordpress.com/glad-pedagogic-research-network-symposium-2016/
Corazzo, J. (2016). Graphic design students’ conceptions of the discipline in an era of expanded design. In Graphic Design Educators' Network Pedagogic Research Symposium, Loughborough University, 20 April 2016.
Corazzo, J. (2015). Designing the discipline : the role of the curriculum in shaping students’ conceptions of graphic design. Proceedings of Learn x Design 2015: DRS / CUMULUS The 3rd International Conference for Design Education Researchers. http://learnxdesign2015.com/
Corazzo, J., & Levick-Parkin, M. (2013). ‘The importance of being idle : making the case for creative spaces in art and design education’. In Higher Education Arts and Humanities Conference, Brighton, 5 May 2013 - 6 May 2013.
Corazzo, J., & Price, S. (2012). Feasible Utopias in graphic design education. In Alt/Shift:UAL University of the Arts, London, London, 2012. http://altshiftual.tumblr.com/
Book chapters
Corazzo, J., & Price, S. (2014). Feasible utopias in graphic design education. In Martinez, Y., & Trees, J. (Eds.) Thought experiments in graphic design education. London: Books from the future: http://www.booksfromthefuture.info/books/thought-experiments-in-graphic-design-education/
Books
Almendra, R., & Ferreira, J. (Eds.). (n.d.). Research & Education in Design: People & Processes & Products & Philosophy. CRC Press. http://doi.org/10.1201/9781003046103
Presentations
Corazzo, J. (2017). Graphic design education: mediating a multiplicity of practice(s). Presented at: Exploring Territories: The Changing Landscape of Art & Design Higher Education’, Manchester, 2017
Corazzo, J. (2017). The Photobook Multiple. Presented at: The Photobook, Sheffield Hallam University
Corazzo, J., & Raven, D. (2016). Mapping graphic design practice & pedagogy. Presented at: Exploring Territories: mapping the terrain of graphic design education Cardiff Metropolitian University 8—9 September 2016, Cardiff Metropolitan University, 2016
Corazzo, J., & Price, S. (2012). Redesigning (Graphic) Design Education Conference. Presented at: Redesigning (Graphic) Design Education Conference, University of Derby, Markeaton Street, Derby, England, DE22 3AW
Other activities
As a passionate advocate for design education, I co-founded the subject association Graphic Design Educators’ Network in 2014. I led a consortium of Art & Design sector bodies and institutions to identify the research barriers and challenges for graphic design academics. I am a highly experienced External Examiner for design programmes in the UK and internationally. I consult with institutions on the validation of new design programmes, course structures and innovative approaches to assessment.
I have served on various boards and advisory groups, including the D&AD Committee (North) and the Cultural and Creative Skills Industry Advisory Board, Graphic Design Educators’ Network. I currently co-run the Education Special Interest Group (EdSIG) for the Design Research Society (DRS) and serve on the Editorial Advisory Board for various journals, including Arts, Design and Communication in Higher Education (ADCHE) and Message Journal.
Postgraduate supervision
I currently supervise PhDs around design education and design for health. I am interested in supervising PhDs at the cross-section of art & design education, new materialisms, graphic design, creative methods, and academic cultures.