Professor Mario Minichiello

My role at the University of Newcastle in Visual Communication Design is to ensure that we continue to be the leading Design school in Australia for graduate employment. And that we develop novel research that impacts positively on human behaviour, health, the environment and provides a competitive advantage to business and industry. 

Research Expertise

My research is drawn from more than 20 years as a leading practitioner in the visual communication design industry and as a senior academic in four top ranked international universities.  Through by research activities I am able to better understand future trends, this is informed both by the current academic literature and the lived experience of practice in industry, including working with health care providers.

Over the past 20 years I have formed a number of research centres, which have attracted over five million pounds in external funding. My current research team are exploring a range of interdisciplinary problems related to aspects of human behaviour and societal challenge. Humans are increasingly influenced through their exposure to images and visual messages. A large part of my career in industry has involved, developing, visualising and seeing ideas through to implementation, these activities impact on society and help shape a better future.   By nature, we are visual learners, visual cognition has become an interdisciplinary focus because it can be used to prompt behaviour modification. For example, neuroscientist Prof Vilayanur S. Ramachandranin his Reith Lecture ‘ Neuro-aesthetics’ described the impact of the 30 visual centres on how this drives human behaviour.

My research into this field has also been informed by the tacit knowledge used by industry to impact human behaviour often for purely commercial gain. However, this process can also be used as an effective way of encouraging behaviours that are desirable, have a positive impact of society, health, the economy and our environment. The focus of my research team over the past 3 years has been on the development and use of Smart Avatar design. Smart Avatar will be designed to as co-creation entities that can mirror the users own emotional intelligence. They will be able to locate themselves using existing technologies but sense the nature of their environments and start learning from bio and other sensory feedback using emerging technology and design. The future use of carbon-based technology will allow the development of embodied cognition that services human centred needs and the challenges of environmental changes.

To achieve this, we are taking an interdisciplinary approach using cutting edge science, physics, technology and design methodologies. In this way we are working with international partners in health, economy and technology. To facilitate these relationships, we have formed the FASTLAB research centre at UON. This centre will draw on cutting edge science, design and technology in the areas of; Biomimicry, Biomechanics, bio reading sensors, co-design and design thinking and visualization, gamification, service and UX design and animation, empathy brain mapping, augmented reality and VR devices for healthcare.

 http://fastlab.soci.org.au/

Administrative Expertise

- Head of School (Birmingham City Uni UK) - Academic Director (Loughborough University UK) - Member of University Governing body (Academic Director University School of Art & Design Loughborough University ) - Research review board (Common Ground Publishing) - Quality assurance in HE learning and teaching (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education UK)

Collaborations

My approach: Visual Communication Design is an agent of change (1); it’s true impact on human behaviour can be revealed using a range of practice based and lead qualitative and quantitative analytical methods. In undertaking this kind of research I wish to reveal new insights that would enable us to advance the understanding of design from the perspective of social responsibility and business efficiency. In investigating visual communication design as an innovative and creative practice it is possible to quantify its potential to transform societies and enhance human well-being. Inspired by Victor Papanek’s critical and cross-cultural approach to design culture, this inclusive approach to design challenges the purely commercial imperative of product culture. As designer and educator Victor Papanek stated, ‘the only important thing about design is how it relates to people’ I work with Prof Kelly and the clinical team where I am visiting Professor in Design at Birmingham Children’s Hospital UK, this started in 2008 when I helped to develop the first design interventions to ensure informed consent for very young children facing large scale surgery. I have published a number of peer reviewed papers in this new field. In the UK I have been award two ARB/C grants - As academic director at Loughborough I set up and helped gain funding from the EC for the Animation academy and the online drawing journal 'Tracy'. As Head of School at BIAD BCU I lead the applications for funding and research for practice lead and based research projects with industry through the Knowledge Transfer Partnership scheme. BIAD become the leader in KTP applications over my period as HOS. I oversaw the work of the school spinout company 'Open Advantage' which developed Design and IT for a Range of SME's in the UK using open source software. This work resulted in the 'Birmingham made me' standing conference with British manufacturing industry, this had a profoundly positive impact on industry and business in Birmingham and in the midlands.  In summary: my research approach has been to investigate Visual communication in: • Examining the mechanisms underlying human vision and visual language-and the impact on individuals learning abilities • Studying the cultural evolution of visual languages under the influence of cognitive constraints • Investigating through design the human ability to cooperate with one another • Probing the psychological design and visual communications mechanisms underlying disorders related to body image • Developing art and graphics in environments as part of recovery and pre-medical preparations. • Understanding how different behavioural norms emerge in different social contexts through co-design and way finding. Understanding disruption and provocation through practice  and by understanding advertising and life style communication has constructed the social environment. • Understanding the impact of practice and the repositioning of Art and Design into wider social and intellectual paradigms. • Developing symmetry in Visual Communication Design • The application of cutting edge design and information technology to disrupt anti social groups (child exploitation, abuse of women, racism and conflict management). • Developing impactful Reportage art that has political intent, such as the  'Art of conflict' work and the investigations for BBC and Guardian news services. 

Teaching and PhD Supervision

I have taught all aspects of Visual Communication design, drawing, visualisation, filmmaking, animation, moving image, service and UX design, Design thinking and co-design.  I have supervised over 90 RHD students (too many to list) and completed both MA and PhD candidates in the UK and AU.