Triangulation as an experimental approach: Interpreting the synergistic relationship between the visual syntax, practical mechanisms and theoretical frameworks of typography used in brand marks of cultural festivals. 7th International Congress of the International Association of Societies of Design Research (IASDR), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 31 Oct 2017 - 03 Nov 2017. 

Abstract

Much work has been published that examines cultural festivals from cultural, economic, tourism, and place-making perspectives. However, typography as one of the most visible elements of a festival’s brand mark is overlooked within cultural festival research. As such, there is a shortfall in scholarly research addressing the key role typography performs to engage audience participation through cultural festivals’ primary brand driver – the brand mark. The purpose of this poster is to critically consider triangulation as a constructive and effective research framework for enquiry into typography of brand marks of cultural festivals and provide a roadmap to further research. Offering an analysis of how and in what way typography is being used in the brand marks for cultural festivals, this poster contributes a discussion of appropriate research methods in the examination of this material. Triangulation is engaged as a research technique combining the methods content analysis, case study and critical analysis as a framework to advantage three perspectives on typography, capturing the complexities of the phenomenon. Through a study of 20 cultural festival brand marks from English speaking countries in 2016, the findings show that triangulation of three methods is beneficial to uncovering a rich and nuanced understanding of the role of typography in brand marks. Although many research methods are available to design researchers, this poster argues that triangulation, is an appropriate method to analyze typography used in the brand marks of cultural festivals as it allows for the emergence of a multifarious and propitious understanding of the discipline. Full paper here: