Rationale
This Action Research Project has emerged from my dual role as both a practicing artist and lecturer in Communication Design on the BA (Hons) Graphic Media Design programme at London College of Communication. My teaching practice is rooted in physical studio-based learning and visual thinking through drawing. I teach primarily into first year (Y1) Graphic Media Design (GMD) and I have consistently observed a broad spectrum of confidence, resistance and anxiety around drawing amongst the large diverse cohort of students – many of whom are International/ESLs.
Within contemporary graphic communication design education while digital technologies offer impressive speed, efficiency and expanded creative opportunities, research indicates that an over-reliance on digital processes suggests students’ physical drawing skills are increasingly marginalised, and there is a decline in their ability and confidence to use drawing as a primary method of thinking and ideation (Di Giovanni, 2024). I have noted students’ unwillingness and discomfort in studio sessions when I have asked them to put their screens aside and use pens and paper instead – to record and visualise initial thoughts, ideas and early-stage iterative design concepts.
Drawing is long-recognised as a key activity within the creative process; Berger (2005) cites drawing as a means of discovery, and practitioners such as Grayson Perry and Sir Jony Ive cite drawing as being central in recording initial thoughts and exploring developing ideas – prior to digital precision and production methods (Perry, 2009; Ive et al.,2025). Through this study I will question the need to reassert physical drawing skills within design education; repositioning drawing as an accessible, inclusive and reflective practice.
In line with Action Research principles; I aim to improve my own teaching practice while enhancing diverse students’ engagement with drawing as an essential component within the design process (McNiff, 2013).
Research Questions
RQ1: In what ways do Y1 GMD students engage with drawing, and how do their prior educational experiences influence their attitudes and approaches?
RQ1: I have observed that many students arrive with a preconceived idea of physical drawing as a measure of technical skill and ability, and secondary to their preferred digital methods and outputs – rooted perhaps in secondary education models and future professional aspirations. This directed me to explore how students’ current approaches to drawing were shaped by prior learning experiences, and to reframe drawing not as ‘how well students’ draw, but ‘how and why’ they draw. As a result, I could foreground a drawing activity whereby each student would visualise and map their personal history of drawing since childhood, aligning the enquiry with inclusive and process-led pedagogies for diverse groups.
RQ2: How can collaborative visual mapping of the design process support diverse students’ understanding of, and engagement with, design briefs?
RQ2: The second question builds on RQ1 (so no longer drawing as a solo activity) but drawing as a collaborative visual mapping process and a shared language for visual thinking. GMD students’ understanding of the design process is integral to their studies and the collective mapping would allow them to externalise shared thinking, make exploration visible, and recognise, acknowledge and act upon multiple voices and viewpoints – as entry to a design brief. This approach reduced reliance on verbal explanation and so would be of value to students with diverse cultural, educational and neurodiverse backgrounds.
To conclude, my two research questions would create a solid foundation for my project as below:
- Reinforcing drawing as a way to think, connect, navigate and visualise meaning.
- Ensuring the project remained critically reflective, student-focussed and relevant to the GMD curriculum.
- Informing and evolving my reflective teaching practice via students’ learning experiences and outcomes.
References
Berger, J. (2005) Berger On Drawing. Co. Cork, Ireland: Occasional Press.
Di Giovanni, M. (2024) Challenges and Research Trends for Drawing Ability in Design Education. Available at: https://tinyurl.com/42mj93ww (Accessed: 3 December 2025).
Ive, J. Mackesy, C. & Marlow, T. (2025) Drawing Dialogues with Sir Jony Ive, Charlie Mackesy & Tim Marlow. Available at: https://royaldrawingschool.org/living-library/drawing-dialogues-jony-and-charlie (Accessed: 10 November 2025).
McNiff, J. (2013) Action Research: Principles and Practice. London: Routledge.
Perry, G. (2025) Drawing Dialogues with Grayson Perry RA. Available at: https://tinyurl.com/znmmmauh (Accessed: 10 November 2025).