VIRTUAL MADRID FOCUS ON PEDAGOGY

Abstract

Anchored in theoretical and creative frameworks, this course critically examined narrative design conventions through immersive typographic and image-making practices for publication design within an intensive studio-based learning paradigm in Aotearoa New Zealand. Students assumed dual roles as storytellers and visual communication designers, crafting visual narratives inspired by the archetype of the Trickster. As a conceptual catalyst, the Trickster prompted students to interrogate and reimagine narrative structures. Historically associated with non-linear, unconventional problem-solving and surprising outcomes, the Trickster encouraged students to challenge assumptions, disrupt conventions, and pursue authentic design responses. Students recontextualised Trickster tales—often infantilised through colonial lenses—elevating their complexity and relevance for contemporary audiences while critically engaging with cultural appropriation and positionality. In alignment with the university’s commitment in decolonising curricula, the course was underpinned by the whakataukī (a Māori proverb) I orea te tuatara ka patu ki waho (a problem is solved by continuing to find solutions), foregrounding creativity, adaptability, and perseverance—qualities that risk-averse students, often unfamiliar with print–based processes, found both challenging and transformative. Focusing on haptic ideation and analogue techniques, including traditional bookbinding and paper engineering, the course fostered material and sensorial design exploration to counter default template–driven and digital tendencies. Students expanded their conceptual agility and design vocabulary through intentional, culturally responsive storytelling—producing innovative, contextually rich outcomes.