IN-PERSON MADRID FOCUS ON PEDAGOGY. SECTION A
Abstract
What happens if the designers of place advertising are faced with the following two limitations: they have no direct experience of the location and they must only use images produced using visual generative media? The answer to this question is examined and discussed in this paper. Design students from two universities (Curtin University and Mälardalens University) were given parallel project briefs, where they were tasked with creating posters to advertise one of two cities (Perth or Eskilstuna), but they could not choose the city where their universities were located and they could only use images generated using Adobe Firefly in their posters. This paper is written from the perspective of Curtin University staff and students. As part of the design process, the Curtin University students were asked to consider how semiotics, myth, ideology, and hyperreality could inform their use of Adobe Firefly and their selection of images for inclusion in the poster. This paper first provides an overview and background to establish context, then presents and examines a range of artefacts produced before, during, and after the design process. Collectively, these are then used to inform a discussion on the place identity and representation of these two cities, as well as the capabilities and limitations of visual generative media in these contexts, before the paper concludes with a summary of the key insights and recommendations.
Dr Jo Li Tay is a Senior Lecturer in Design at Curtin University. She worked across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors as a graphic designer for 10 years before moving into academia. She teaches primarily on Design Thinking, Design Theory, Design Principles, and Advertising. Her particular research interests are in Design Thinking, Aesthetics, Interactivity, Experience Design, Learning, and Entrepreneurship – her PhD was on “A Model for Mapping Interactivity in Learning Experiences”.
Dr Monika Lukowska-Appel is an artist, academic and researcher from Poland currently based in Perth, WA. She obtained her MA from the E. Geppert Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Wroclaw, Poland in 2011, MFA in Printmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute, USA in 2014 and PhD from Curtin University, Perth in 2018. Lukowska’s artworks were exhibited internationally and she is a recipient of several grants and scholarships to support her creative practice. Her research investigates themes of materiality of place, ecology, and human experience alongside the use of digital technologies in conjunction with traditional print media.
Dr Yolanda Stapleton is a Burmese Australian academic and designer. Through her practice, she has staged design exhibitions and events in Perth, Sydney, and Singapore. Her research is focused on the areas of Experience Design (XD), and Human-Centred Design (HCD).
10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Friday 26th June, 2026