Thematic areas and Contributions

Issue 44 welcomes contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following thematic clusters:

Graphic Design and the Public Interface: How does graphic and information design shape the everyday experience of public services? In what ways do visual systems operate as interfaces that mediate citizens’ understanding, navigation, and use of interconnected public infrastructures, services, and institutions, both physical and digital?

Access, Participation, and Civic Inclusion: What role does visual communication play in enabling, or limiting, civic participation and social agency? How can public design ensure clarity, accessibility, and inclusivity across diverse populations with different capabilities, experiences, and cultural backgrounds, particularly in critical contexts such as healthcare, mobility, or democratic processes?

Designing for Complexity and Digital Transformation: How can information design address complexity, ambiguity, and scale in contemporary public systems? What are the implications of digitalisation for graphic interfaces, visual languages, and user experience, and how can design support effective real-world use?

Evaluation, Performance, and Evidence: How can the impact and usability of public communication design be assessed? What methods and frameworks can support the evaluation of graphic interfaces, addressing the current lack of shared metrics and systematic studies?

Identity, Coherence, and Public Visibility: How can public communication balance coherence and recognizability with diversity and plurality? What is the role of standards and design systems in ensuring visibility, trust, and continuity across fragmented institutional landscapes?

Design, Governance, and Institutional Practice: What role does graphic design play in co-creation, decision-making, and public innovation? How do organisational and political structures enable or constrain design action, and how can quality, professionalisation, and scalability be sustained?

Ethics, Politics, and the Role of Design: How can public communication design operate as an ethical and political practice? How does it contribute to trust and institutional legitimacy, and what are the implications of multiple—or fragmented—voices for clarity and public trust?

Multimodality, Engagement, and Public Communication: How does multimodal communication – across visual, textual, and audiovisual formats – enhance the effectiveness of public communication? In what ways can the integration of multiple modes address heterogeneous audiences while supporting comprehension, attention, and emotional engagement in public contexts?

 

Types of Contributions

Contributions published in Progetto Grafico are divided into four sections:

  • Research – Scientific essays on the theme of the call (25,000–30,000 characters, including spaces), in one of the following categories: Experiment (applied research and design innovations), Mapping (case studies and critical analyses of design experiences), Narrate (historical research on relevant phenomena, figures, or artifacts).

  • Visualize – Scientific communication artifacts (infographics, maps, experimental visualizations, videos, interactive representations).

  • Discover – Critical book reviews (max. 7,000 characters).

  • Wander – Scientific essays off-topic but of particular academic interest (25,000–30,000 characters, including spaces).