some thoughts about my research..

I’ve realized that it is a complex issues about Malaysian Identity and no way in 3 years I could find an answer of what is Malaysian Identity, better get far away of that issues, although it is connected to my PhD. My research is not about searching for Malaysian Identity.

What I’m interested now and hopefully it will be clearer later in my writing, is the role of communication designer in regards to the construction of Malaysian Identity. Do designers conscious of what their creating in their process of designing? Do they reflect on their design process? Or does designer aware of ‘myth’ that the designer’s created through their visuals making? My concern also about design education curriculum in Malaysia – to narrow it down USM can be a case study.

What kind of knowledge are we teaching in Graphic Communication. Imaged, when I first arrived thinking of pursuing Master and PhD. Without knowing these names – Derrida, Barthes, Lupton, Papenek, Schon, Saussure, Foucoult, Hall etc. How many literature reviews we actually did in our design degree course? or even write about it? I have to read and covered them along while working out what my PhD is all about…and yes…apart from trying to get my grammar on the right track. I wonder if Malaysian design students are critical enough toward the graphic/design artefacts around them or merely think its another piece of graphic design artifacts? ‘Take it as it is’.

How can the design educator nurture the design student awareness of ‘myth’ they might create in their process of designing? Structuralism and deconstruction process in design, reflecting on the practices as I came to understand that it is a significant process of graphic design studies/research. Should it be part or it is already part of our design curriculum in the university?

My aim in this PhD is to produce a pedagogical approach [still not sure about the product though, any thought? ]- criticizing Malaysian graphic design artefacts and through this questioning the Malaysian Identity as I think that it is closely related. I argue communication designer contribute in the process of shaping Malaysian National Identity, through the process of branding, promotions, creating an identity etc. Now I need to write about it…

Any thought?