Mapping Graphic Design Scopus Database Framings: A Scoping And Delphi Review

Although academic work on graphic design has made significant advancements, its framing by articles in journals may hinder the further development of research in graphic design. Previous studies attribute the slow further development to methodological difficulties triggered by the inappropriate application of scientific methods in design. However, the authors hold the view that the struggle is due to how researchers have framed the focus of graphic design in academic research. The study employed a scientometric review to examine trends in graphic design research from 2000 to 202 in Scopus. VOSviewer was used to analyse co-author, co-citation and co-word maps. The study employed a scientometric review to survey graphic design research from 2000 to 2023, selecting 263 articles based on predefined criteria using the Scopus website from a total of 883,640 articles between August and September 2023. VOSviewer was used to analyse coauthor, co-citation and co-keyword maps. The results were sent to two experts for Delphi review. The results showed that the focus of graphic design was visual communication, design layout, typography, design processes and design education. However. Delphi review points out that the key areas framing graphic design are not representative and give an incomplete picture of graphic design. The study unveils the limitations of the design journals based on their published focus on graphic design articles and recommends the need for the journals to consider the underrepresentation for special issues.