Prerequisite(s): VCDS 311. Restriction(s): Visual Communication Design majors only. In this studio course students will explore multiple goals and methods of design research in the context of communication design practice. Through case studies and studio projects, multiple creative strategies and tactics in design research will be investigated. The course will make a strong argument for performing rigorous experimentation and analysis as a creative practice that makes a designers’ way of thinking and communicating so unique. Students identify researchable topics and write framing questions to guide their investigations; they develop concepts, determine appropriate media and formats, generate prototypes, and design an exhibition through which audiences experience the knowledge and messages they wish to convey.