Materials for authors

1. TYPES OF CONTRIBUTIONS

Contributions to Progetto Grafico Journal are divided into four sections:

  • Research – Scientific essays related to the theme of the call (25,000–30,000 characters, including spaces), to be placed in one of the following categories:
    • Experiment: applied research projects and innovations in design.
    • Mapping: case studies and critical analyses of design experiences.
    • Narrate: historical studies of phenomena, figures, or artifacts of significance.
  • Visualize – Scientific communication artifacts (infographics, maps, experimental visualizations, videos, interactive representations).
  • Discover – Critical book reviews (max. 7,000 characters).
  • Wander – Scientific essays outside the main theme but of notable academic interest (25,000–30,000 characters, including spaces).

Each section has a clear editorial intent and follows specific formatting guidelines.

1.1 RESEARCH

Objective

The Research section welcomes scientific essays offering an in-depth analysis of the theme proposed in the call, through theoretical, critical, or methodological approaches. It serves as a space for interdisciplinary reflection, historical analysis, and design experimentation in the field of visual communication design.

Subcategories

  • Experiment – Essays presenting applied research projects conducted by the author(s), selected for their innovative and experimental nature in terms of technology, aesthetics, and/or language.
  • Mapping – Case studies of particular relevance, promoting theoretical-critical thoughts on specific technological, linguistic, and/or aesthetic trends in the contemporary design landscape.
  • Narrate – Historiographic research, focusing on phenomena, figures, or artifacts that contributed to the evolution of visual communication design, through archival studies and documentation.

Specifications

  • Length: 25,000–30,000 characters, including spaces (excluding abstract and CV).
  • Format: .docx, formatted according to these guidelines.
  • Structure:
    • Title and subtitle (ITA and ENG)
    • Author(s) (name, surname, affiliation, email, ORCID)
    • Abstract (max. 2,000 characters, ITA and ENG)
    • Keywords (5, ITA and ENG)
    • Main text (ITA or ENG for first submission, both for final version*)
    • Endnotes (numbered)
    • Acknowledgements
    • Bibliography (APA Style)
    • Image captions (max. 150 characters each)
    • Short bio (max. 300 characters including spaces)

All essays will undergo double-blind peer review.

* To support international authors in preparing their contributions in Italian and to ensure terminological and stylistic accuracy, Progetto Grafico offers a translation service carried out by professionals to meet the standards required for international scholarly publication. Authors may request access to this service by contacting the editorial staff.

1.2 VISUALIZE

Objective

The Visualize section is conceived as a space for experimentation and research through graphic language. Here, visual communication design becomes a tool for constructing knowledge, offering new perspectives in the representation and interpretation of scientific information.

Contributions must consist of visual artifacts with methodological rigor and scientific value, going beyond simple illustration to become analytical and critical tools.

Subcategories

  • Experiment – Visual artifacts representing applied research by the author(s), selected for their innovation and experimentation in terms of technology, aesthetics, and/or language.
  • Mapping – Static or dynamic infographics, diagrams, and visual models that systematize relevant case studies and promote theoretical-critical reflection.
  • Narrate – Visual essays and documentary-style visual reviews exploring stories, phenomena, and processes contributing to the evolution of visual communication design.

Accepted formats

  • Static and dynamic infographics
  • Visual essays (audiovisual narratives integrated with text)
  • Scientific posters
  • Documentary visual reviews
  • Interaction and data visualization models

Technical specifications

  • Format:
    • Static images: 35.8 x 23.7 cm. In the case of visual contributions consisting of more than one canva, from the second onwards the required format is 42 × 29.7 cm with a central fold.
    • Audiovisual content: .mp4 with h.264 compression.
  • Resolution:
    • Min. 300 dpi for static images.
    • Min. Full HD (1920x1080px) for videos.

Accompanying text specifications

  • Length: max. 7,000 characters (spaces included, excluding abstract and CV).
  • Format: .docx.
  • Structure:
    • Title and subtitle (ITA and ENG)
    • Author(s) (name, surname, affiliation, email, ORCID)
    • Keywords (5, ITA and ENG)
    • Text (ITA or ENG for first submission, both languages for final version)
    • Visual/audiovisual contribution*
    • Bibliography (APA Style)
    • Short bio (max. 300 characters including spaces)

* For video projects, the same double-page format will be used, presenting a selection of stills from the video and a QR code that links to the video content available on the journal's website.

All contributions will be peer-reviewed via double-blind process.

1.3 DISCOVER

Objective

The Discover section includes critical reviews of scholarly monographic volumes, suggested by authors and approved by the editorial board based on the theme of the call.

Authors interested in reviewing a volume must submit the title to the editorial board no later than 15 days after the opening of the call and wait for confirmation before writing their review. The relevance of the proposed book to the theme of the call will be evaluated case by case by the editorial board, which will promptly inform the authors.

Specifications

  • Length: max. 7,000 characters (including spaces).
  • Format: .docx, following these formatting guidelines.
  • Structure:
    • Title, author, and year of the reviewed book
    • Reviewer(s) (name, surname, affiliation, email, ORCID)
    • Review text (ITA or ENG for first submission; both for the final version)
    • Endnotes (numbered)
    • Bibliography (APA Style)
    • Short bio of the reviewer (max. 300 characters, spaces included)

All reviews will be assessed by the editorial board.

1.4 WANDER

Objective

The Wander section is dedicated to contributions that, although not directly related to the theme of the call, offer high scientific and methodological quality. It is a space for innovative and experimental contributions. No more than two will be published per issue.

Specifications

  • Length: 25,000–30,000 characters (spaces included, abstract and CV excluded).
  • Format: .docx, as per these formatting guidelines.
  • Structure:
    • Title and subtitle (ITA and ENG)
    • Author(s) (name, surname, affiliation, email, ORCID)
    • Abstract (max. 2,000 characters, ITA and ENG)
    • Keywords (5, ITA and ENG)
    • Main text (ITA or ENG for first submission; both languages for final version)
    • Endnotes (numbered)
    • Acknowledgements
    • Bibliography (APA Style)
    • Image captions (max. 150 characters each)
    • Short bio (max. 300 characters, spaces included)

All essays will undergo double-blind peer review.

2. SUBMISSION

Submissions must be made through the journal's editorial platform (OJS) at pgjournal.aiap.it.

The submission process includes the following steps:

  1. registration and login to the platform;
  2. starting a new submission ("Make a submission");
  3. entering the required metadata, including author details and abstract;
  4. uploading the submission files.

Authors are required to upload two documents, in accordance with the specifications outlined in Sections 2 and 3 of this document, and a compressed folder (.zip) containing images and any additional materials.

Document 1 – Text of the contribution (anonymized)

The file must contain only the contribution, without references that could identify the author or authors, either in the text or in the file metadata.

The document must include:

  • Title and subtitle (in Italian and English)
  • Abstract (max. 2,000 characters, in Italian and English)
  • Keywords (5, in Italian and English)
  • Full text of the contribution (in Italian or English) of which, in the event of a positive outcome of the peer review, a double language version will be requested.
  • Images / selection of frames and a link to the full content (for audiovisual contributions in the Visualize section)
  • Numbered notes (if any)
  • Bibliography (formatted according to APA style)
  • Image captions (if any)

The file must be named as follows: SURNAME_SHORTTITLE_MANUSCRIPT.docx (e.g. ROSSI_NEWDESIGN_MANUSCRIPT.docx).

Document 2 – Author/authors data

The second file must contain only the identification and personal data of the author or authors. It must include:

  • Name and surname
  • Affiliation
  • Email address
  • ORCID
  • Short biography (max. 300 characters including spaces)

The file must be named as follows: SURNAME_SHORTTITLE_AUTHORINFO.docx (e.g. ROSSI_NEWDESIGN_AUTHORINFO.docx).

Folder 3 – Visual Materials

The visual materials of the contributions belonging to the section Visualizzare/Visualize and the accompanying images for the contributions belonging to the other sections must be sent in a compressed folder (.zip) containing the visual materials of the project.

Technical specifications:

  • Static images:
    • Format: JPG
    • Resolution: min. 300 dpi
    • Recommended layout: Minimum width of 35.8 cm and height of 23.7 cm. In the case of visual contributions consisting of more than one canva, from the second onwards the required format is 42 × 29.7 cm with a central fold. If textual elements are included within the images produced by the authors, these must be exclusively in English.
  • Video or audiovisual content:
    • Format: .mp4 (H.264 compression)
    • Resolution: min. Full HD (1920x1080 px)

In case of sending an audiovisual contribution, include in Document 1 (text) a selection of frames and a link to the complete content.

The folder must be named as follows: SURNAME_SHORTTITLE_VISUALS.zip (e.g. ROSSI_NEWDESIGN_VISUALS.zip)

Individual images must be named as follows: Figure 1, Figure 2, etc. in reference to the sequential number indicated within the text.

The final formatting and layout will be verified by the Editorial Board, and the layout drafts will be shared with the authors for review [Camera Ready]. Only contributions that comply with the editorial guidelines will be accepted.

For contributions subjected to double-blind peer review and subsequently accepted for publication, the corresponding author may be asked to make any additions or corrections. However, the final decision on the publication of the contribution will remain the exclusive responsibility of the Scientific Director.

3. DOCUMENT PREPARATION

The document must be submitted in .doc or .docx format (not .pdf).

Refer to Section 1 of this document for the required structure of each contribution type.

3.1 Formatting and Text Treatment

All texts (title, author name, keywords, abstract, main text, notes, final bibliography, image captions) must be set in Titillium, 11-point size. Avoid special styles (bold, underlining, etc.) and paragraph formatting (indents, tabs, bullet points). Do not number the pages.

3.2 Character Styles

Use italic (via proper formatting command) for:

  • Emphasis on terms or expressions
  • Titles of works or products
  • Foreign language expressions
  • Book or journal titles within a sentence
  • Titles of exhibitions or events

Bold is used only for paragraph titles. Other styles (small caps, underlining, etc.) are not allowed.

3.3 Text Subdivisions

Text may be divided into progressively numbered paragraphs (e.g., 1., 2., etc.), but subparagraphs (1.1, 1.2, etc.) are not allowed.

4. CITATION STYLE

Authors must use APA Style 7 (www.apastyle.org), which is based on the author-date method. Each citation must include the author's last name and the year of publication. All sources must appear in the final bibliography, formatted according to APA guidelines.

4.1 Author/Date References

Examples:

  • "Editorial design has been extensively studied..." (Lupton, 2004).
  • "Lupton (2004) demonstrates how..."

One author:

  • "The concept of 'social graphics' evolved significantly" (Frascara, 2006).
  • As Frascara argued (2006)…

Two authors:

  • "The role of information design was explored by Cukier and Mayer-Schönberger (2013)."
  • Some scholars argued that… (Cukier & Mayer-Schönberger, 2013).

Three to five authors:

  • First citation: "Bernocchi, Contri, and Rea (2018)..."
  • Subsequent citations: "Bernocchi et al. (2018)..."

Six or more authors:

  • Use "et al." from the first citation: "McCarthy et al. (2013)..."

Multiple citations in the same parentheses:

  • Example: (Armstrong, 2009; Lupton, 2004; Meggs & Purvis, 2016)

Unknown author:

  • Use title in italics for books: Graphic Design Theory (2009)...
  • Use quotation marks for articles: "Design and Visual Culture" (2015)...

Organization as author:

  • Example: (AIGA, 2017)

4.2 Indirect Citations

Example:

  • "Modular typography has been explored in several studies (Baines & Haslam, 2005)."

4.3 Direct Citations

Short quotes (under 30 words): use double quotation marks and include page number:

  • "The objective designer aims for pure technical aesthetics" (Munari, 1971, p. 10).

Long quotes (over 30 words): separate block, no quotation marks:

  • The transition from user-centered design to experience-based design, up to codesign, is characterized by a change in the role that the major players in the processes undergo: the designer and the user. (Rizzo, 2009, p. 68)

4.4 Indirect and Direct Citations from Secondary Sources

Example:

  • "Anceschi stated that..." (as cited in Piscitelli, 2020)

5. FINAL BIBLIOGRAPHY

All cited sources must be included in a final bibliography, alphabetically ordered. Authors are requested to include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or other permanent reference links for each cited bibliographic entry, such as URLs to institutional repositories, scholarly journals, or authoritative book purchase pages.

5.1 Books

  • Lupton, E. (2004). Thinking with type: A critical guide for designers, writers, editors, and students. Princeton Architectural Press.

5.2 Journal Articles

  • De Luca, V. (2016). Beyond the interface – Emotions and interaction design for well-being. MD Journal, 1, 106–119.

5.3 Book Chapters

  • Di Marino, B. (2014). Integrati e Apocalittici... In B. Di Marino & G. Spagnoletti (Eds.), Il Mouse e La Matita(pp. 17–39). Marsilio.

5.4 Conference Proceedings

  • Olsson, T. (2009). Understanding collective content... Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Communities and Technologies (C&T'09), 21–30.

5.5 Newspaper Articles

  • Bartezzaghi, S. (2003, September 1). If all knowledge is a playful journey. La Repubblica.

5.6 Online Sources

  • Gosling, E. (2017). What Will A Designer + Their Job Look Like in 2025? AIGA Eye on Design.

For all other cases, refer to the updated APA guidelines.

6. EDITORIAL CRITERIA

6.1 Quotes and Quotation Marks

  • Short quotes: use double quotation marks.
  • Long quotes: no quotation marks, formatted as a block.

6.2 Dashes and Punctuation

  • En dash (–) for parenthetical phrases.
  • Hyphen (-) for compound words.

6.3 Dates and Numerals

  • Date format: day-month-year (e.g., 16 March 2025).
  • Centuries: in words, capitalized (e.g., the Eighteenth Century).
  • Decades: lowercase words (e.g., the twenties of the Twentieth century).
  • Numbers: words for 1–9, numerals from 10 onwards.
  • Thousands separator: used from five-digit numbers (e.g., 2.000; 20.000).
  • Decimal separator: comma (e.g., 2,2 not 2.2).

6.4 Accents

  • Use proper grave or acute accents (e.g., è, sé, né).
  • Use proper accented uppercase characters (e.g., È, not E').

6.5 Images and Captions

  • Images in Research and Wander must be rights-free or with a publication license.
  • Format: JPG, min. 300 dpi.
  • Images must include a caption with: Designer's name, Project name, Brief description, Credits.

Example: Fig. 1 – Paula Scher, The Public Theater Identity, graphic system for New York's Public Theater, 1994. Courtesy of Pentagram.