Applying design narrative and image structure to explore design students’ learning performance

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to explore the narrative expression skill of design students through manipulating image structure. Moreover, narrative expression is the skill of interpreting design with narrative. The study is a classroom experiment conducted naturally, and the experimental data is obtained and analysed by quantitative analysis. We found differences in students’ narrative tendencies and richness in overall narrative expression. The teaching and training of design narrative can effectively help students familiarise themselves with the design process and personal skill integration and encourage students to pay attention to the design of elements and content. This will improve students’ design competencies under skills different from technology. The paper concludes that students must improve and integrate design competencies through practical methods under other narrative tendencies. Furthermore, the lecturer can explore and adjust design teaching through design narrative training to strengthen or balance students’ design performance competency.

KEYWORDS:

• Narrative
• narrative tendency
• design education
• image structure
• colour

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Althea Y. Chen

Althea Y. Chen Chen is an artist, a PhD candidate, and the IDA winner. She is currently a lecturer at the Department of Industrial Design at the National Taipei University of Technology, Taiwan. She’s been a state-level pianist and an ex-pat in Japan and France.

Chun-Ching Chen

Chun-Ching Chen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Interaction Design at the National Taipei University of Technology in Taiwan. He obtained his doctorate from Coventry University, VIDe Design Research Centre, UK.

Wen-Yin Chen

Wen-Yin Chen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Industrial Design at the National Taipei University of Technology in Taiwan. He obtained his Master degree of Industrial Design from Ohio State University, USA.