Author Guidelines

Categories of Article Contribution

Research and Experimentation Papers (20,000-25,000 characters)

This journal focuses on the concept of design and its relevance to a diverse audience consisting of design researchers, educators, and practitioners. We encourage the submission of original, scientific, and scholarly research papers that explore various aspects of the design process or contribute to the advancement and practical application of new knowledge in this field.

The papers should be written in a way that can be easily understood and relevant to a wide range of readers from different design domains. In order to be suitable for publication in this journal, a paper should provide fresh insights or knowledge about the design process or contribute to developing new designing processes.

Prior to submitting your paper, please ensure that your topic and study align with the goals and scope of the journal.

Conversation Pieces/Interviews (15,000-25,000 characters)

A Conversation piece or interview should primarily focus on thought-provoking and engaging topics within the realm of design. It should serve as a platform for exploring innovative ideas, challenging conventional thinking, and initiating meaningful discussions within the design community. Conversation pieces can delve into emerging trends, ethical considerations, social impact, or philosophical aspects of design. These publications should aim to spark intellectual curiosity, encourage dialogue, and inspire new perspectives and approaches in the field of design.

Reportages (7,000-15,000 characters)

For reportages and case study papers, it is recommended to adhere to the guidelines outlined for research papers, exhibiting a similar level of academic rigour. However, these papers should centre on specific instances of designing, delving deeper into particular cases. Case studies must offer fresh perspectives or knowledge concerning the design process and should be grounded in relevant theories and literature, including those previously published in the journal. Multimedia and innovative publications are welcomed.

Review Papers (7,000 – 10,000 characters)

Reviews publications should primarily focus on providing critical evaluations, discussions, and insights related to the design field. Reviews can offer an assessment of existing works, such as books, articles, or design projects, providing a comprehensive analysis and offering recommendations or critiques. These publications can serve as platforms for open discussions, debates, and exchanges of ideas within the design community as well as foster dialogue, share perspectives, and address emerging trends or issues in the design field.

Visual Essay (7,000 – 10,000 characters)

A visual essay possesses the flexibility to manifest solely through visual elements or in conjunction with written content. Typically spanning between 6 to 12 pages, these essays delve into various social or political dimensions of visual communication. They may serve as responses to existing visual works, offer critiques on visual processes, or explore conceptual ideas within the visual realm. We strongly encourage prospective contributors to engage in preliminary discussions to optimise the potential success of their submissions.

Author Guidelines

2. ARTICLE TEXT PREPARATION

The structure of each article includes the following succession of elements:

• Title and possible subtitle (max. 100 characters, including spaces)
• Author’s name/s, institutional affiliation, e-mail address
• Abstract in English (max. 1000 characters, including spaces)
• Keywords (list of 3 to 5 keywords in English separated by comma)
• Orcid (code to uniquely identify academic authors)
• Main body of text (max. 25.000 characters - depending on the Category - including spaces, notes and references)
• Paragraph titles (max. 100 characters, included in main body of text)
• Notes (included in main body of text)
• References in alphabetical order at the end of the text (included in main body of text)
• Images (max. 6 images)
• Image captions (max 600 characters, included in main body of text)
• Short biographical note (max 350 characters, including spaces)

3. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Submissions shall be made on diid website, through the OJS submission system.

All files should be prepared in an appropriate word processing package, saved and sent in .doc (or .docx) or .rtf document file format (not .pdf).

The document file shall be entitled “first author’s surname_ first significant word of the title”.

4. TEXT FORMAT

All text should be submitted in English language, Times New Roman point 12 black type. Do not use any automatic formatting such as ‘styles’, tables or headers/footers nor particular character styles such as bold and underlining, unless the cursive style as indicated in 4.1. Do not use any automatic paragraphing tools and no indenting or numbering. Do not number the pages of the manuscript.

For the formatting, please follow the instructions below:

• justified alignment in Times New Roman, single-spaced;
• title and subtitle 12 point font;
• text 12 point font;
• notes and references 10 point.

4.1 Character style-cursive

The cursive should be used throughout the manuscript for the following:

• Highlighting a term or expression;
• The name or title of a specific work, a product or a design project;
• Foreign language terms;
• Citing the title of a book or journal;
• Title of exhibitions and events.

4.2 Exceptions

For documents that for reason of content require special characters types other than indicated above, the author needs to state and informs the editors of any such requisite at the time of submission.

4.3 Section headings

It is preferred that the document is structured by numbered paragraphs and subtitles.

4.4 Footnotes

Footnotes must be used only when strictly necessary for information that is complementary to the text. Footnotes containing only references are not allowed. These must be listed at the end of article, in the 'References' item.

5. FIGURES AND FIGURE LEGENDS

Article texts might be accompanied by up to 6 images each. Images should be uploaded separately on the OJS system in a compressed zip folder entitled “images_surname of author” along with the article text (please do not include figures in the document file). Images shall be uploaded in JPG format and their resolution should not be lower than 300 dpi. The drawings must be submitted in .ai or .eps vector format, in grayscale (or they may be submitted in image format, .jpg or .tiff) and have a minimum base size of 15 cm or 10 cm and a resolution of 600 dpi. The title of each figure should match the legends in the article text.

Only legends and captions are to be added in the document, placed where the author clearly refers to the respective image. Images – photographs, drawings, graphic diagrams – should be progressively numbered, between square brackets: [fig. 01], [fig. 02]. The table files, instead, should be progressively marked with Roman numbers and enclosed between square brackets: [tab. I], [tab. II].

Captions should not exceed 600 characters, including spaces, per image. The figure legend ought to include and be structured as follows:

• Author/designer
• Name of the project, event, environment, product, etc.
• Short description
• Producer (if applicable)
• Acknowledgements/Credits/Courtesy/Copyright

Authors must acquire from the images' rights holder the exclusive rights of reproduction and distribution.

6. CITATION STYLE, REFERENCING, BIBLIOGRAPHY AND QUOTATIONS

Citation style, referencing, bibliography and quotation mode should follow and be organized according to APA Style 7^th, which can be consulted under www.apastyle.org. The APA style foresees footnotes instead of endnotes.

The basics of an in-text reference in APA:

• Include author or authors and year of publication.
• Use round brackets.

Example: (Smith & Bruce, 2018)

6.1 Indirect quotations

If the reference is made to a work in its entirety, or to an idea contained in another work without mentioning the material directly, only the author and the year of publication of the work should be indicated in the body of the text.

Example:

(Leskowitz, 2017) or

Leskowitz (2017)

Quotation at the beginning

Leskowitz (2017) describes the transcendent states that athletes experience …

Quotation in the middle

… sport viewed as a spiritual path (Leskowitz, 2017), and one that is frequently followed in the west.

Quotation at the end

… athletes using techniques adapted from holistic and complementary medicine (Leskowitz, 2017).

6.2 Direct quotations

Short quotations (up to 40 words) within the text should be marked by double quotations marks. The reference to the page number must always be placed in parentheses at the end of the quotation and before the punctuation mark. The page must be indicated by the abbreviation p. (not pg, pg, etc.).

Example:

Narrative quote (where the authors are named in your sentence):

Webber (2018) concludes that “addressing the issue of school dropout not only affects the education system but may also serve as a prevention effort for the welfare, mental health, and corrections systems” (p. 82).

Parenthetical quote (where the citation details are presented in parentheses following the quote):

“Addressing the issue of school dropout not only affects the education system but may also serve as a prevention effort for the welfare, mental health, and corrections systems” (Webber, 2018, p. 82).

6.3 Longer quotations

Longer quotations should follow a space and be indented from the text without quotations marks. The page number reference must appear in parentheses at the end of the quote, after the punctuation mark.

Example:

Others have contradicted this view, suggesting:

These overload issues can reach across the lifespan and affect individuals in many ways. As related issues continue to emerge, counselors will need to be aware of potential mental health problems stemming from technology overload and continue to research and develop the skills needed for effective interventions. In the digital age, these capabilities will be crucial in helping clients regain and maintain a healthy balance of life, work, and technology. (Scott et al., 2017, p. 605)

6.4 The Reference List

The references must be listed at the end of the text, in APA Style 7^th, including all the sources cited within the body of the text, in alphabetical order, font 10, and with simple spacing. Just as each source cited in the body of the text must appear within the final bibliography, each reference contained in the final bibliography must have been cited at least once within the body of the text.

Example:

Journal article:

Ruxton, C. (2016). Tea: Hydration and other health benefits. Primary Health Care, 26(8), 34-42. https://doi.org/10.7748/phc.2016.e1162

Book:

Arnott, G. D. (2017). The disability support worker (2nd ed.). Cengage Learning.

7. ABBREVIATIONS

It is good form, when drafting the text of an article, to limit the use of abbreviations, always confining them – where necessary – within brackets; the exceptions to this rule are: BC, AD, etc.

Should the use of abbreviations within the document be extensive, it is advisable to include an abbreviation key at the beginning of the text.