MFA Visual Communication Design
Thesis Proposal Guidelines
The Thesis
All MFA Visual Communication Design students develop an original body of work,
culminating in a final exhibition accompanied by a written component.
Students will synthesize the knowledge and experience they have acquired
throughout the graduate program by:
! Comprehensively and independently research a specific topic related
to the field of visual communication design (graphic design, interactive design,
motion graphics, 3D digital imaging and motion)
! Integrate their research discoveries into an academic project that contributes
in a new, meaningful way to the field of design
! Conceptualize, design, and produce a visual project in support of their research
! Evaluate and summarize their research process, design methodologies,
user testing, and results in a written document.
Choosing an Appropriate Thesis Topic
Defining a thesis topic requires an in-depth view of the field of visual communication
design and of the candidate’s personal design or creative interests. Many MFA
candidates begin this process with thoughts like,
"Hmm... I'm very interested in typography and motion graphics. I'll develop
a thesis project that consists of a series of typographic studies in motion
that illustrates the development of typography since the invention of
Gutenberg's movable type."
While this might well be a worthwhile endeavor for personal study and growth, it is not an
appropriate thesis topic. The culmination of a project with this goal would be a research
paper/presentation in which what has already been said and done is simply being repeated.
The thesis should add or contribute to the field of design, not merely reflect knowledge
and mastery of the subject.
How can you contribute? The Visual Communication Design thesis is a marriage of acquired
knowledge of the candidates’ course of study and the candidate’s personal interests and
passions for a specific area concentration within this diverse field.
For example: A passion for typography, motion graphics, semiotic theory,
environmental issues or politics could lead to a thesis that adds to the current
body of knowledge while simultaneously leaving the candidates personal
mark on the field of motion graphics.
This is the goal of the Visual Communication Design thesis. While technique and form are
critical concerns in the development of the thesis topic, they should not be the driving
forces. If a candidate has an interest in a particular form; for instance 3D character design,
the defining of their thesis topic should consider how the form could be explored
in a new and meaningful way. In the process of defining a thesis topic, candidates are
encouraged to question and explore the roots of their creative interests to determine an
appropriate direction for the thesis investigation; asking first and foremost, how will my
research and outcomes contribute in a meaningful way to the current body of knowledge?
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Forming a Quality Thesis
No matter what kind of project you design and develop, its success or failure is dependent
on the quality of your thesis. You have to be able to persuade your readers that your
research is interesting, that your argument is sound and can be proven, and that you have a
solid working foundation relating to the design approach. Proving your statement is as
important as the structure itself. To those ends, there are several tips and techniques that
can help you.
To begin with, it is important to consider what a thesis truly is. A thesis statement is meant
to tell your reader exactly how you will discuss, research, design your project, and prove the
importance of your subject. In fact, it is a map for the entire thesis project. It will tell your
readers exactly what they can expect to find in the body of your thesis proposal.
Your thesis needs to show up in at least two places. It must show up in the introduction to
your proposal – where it is generally a single sentence – and then it must be rephrased in
the conclusion of your proposal. You do not have to repeat it in the body of your paper,
because that is where you set about proving your statement.
It is incredibly important that you sit down and think about your thesis statement. In fact,
you should start the research process while you are still thinking about your thesis. That
way, you can begin by looking up possible sources, so that you will know if there is enough
reputable information out there to back up your argument.
Do not ever choose an easy thesis statement. Do not choose something that someone
else has already proven effectively. If you have a new, innovative twist to put on that topic,
it could make for a very intriguing statement. Use this as an opportunity for creative
exploration and to delve into something that falls outside of your comfort zone. How can
you challenge yourself to push beyond your design and technical skills? Just make sure that
you establish boundaries to maintain a reasonable project breadth and scope. It is all about
choices; make sure that yours are strong.
Writing a Acceptable Thesis Statement
With few exceptions, your thesis statement is the core of your paper. The success
of your proposal is dependent on a comprehensive argument.
The first step in writing a concise thesis statement is understanding what kind of thesis
project you are going to be designing. The most common method is to begin with an
analysis, wherein you break down and discuss an idea or argument, into its separate parts.
After that, you evaluate it and then present the breakdown and argument to the readers.
In theory, it can also represent an opinion.
It is vitally important that your thesis be specific. It cannot be vague, because vagueness
cannot prove or refute a point. A vague thesis simply looks fickle and wishy-washy. It will
suggest to your reader that you did not put in the time and effort necessary to form and
then justify a quality argument. You will likely end up with no usable or meaningful
conclusion, ultimately to the detriment of your thesis project.
Structurally speaking and in terms of format, your thesis statement belongs in your first
paragraph. Generally, it is placed towards the end because then it can flow right into the
body of the proposal, where you will begin presenting the facts and sources that support
your thesis.
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Contextually speaking, your thesis does actually need to be a statement. You are not
asking a question, you intend to prove a point or an argument. To that end, you
constantly need to keep reading back over your proposal as you are writing it, in order to
ensure that the body of your paper and its content are upholding the statements posed
by your thesis.
It is also important to remember that no thesis statement is set in stone. What that
basically means is that you need to realize that a lot can change during the research,
designing, and developing processes. If you find that either of these things causes your
statement to change and you are not certain how to rephrase it appropriately, do not
be afraid to seek help from your thesis committee.
The Thesis Project
What is the thesis project?
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It is the physical manifestation of, and the conclusion to, your thesis proposal.
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The form that it takes should be determined by the nature of the proposal.
The goal is to combine the candidate’s proposal with the most appropriate
form for the candidate’s message.
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Successful thesis projects have taken a variety of forms over the years,
and have included book design, installations, web and App design,
3D digital design and motion, sound design, projection design, type design,
and motion graphics.
Regardless of the form the thesis project takes, the candidate should be aware that
he/she is engaged in the process of making an argument. Keep in mind the core
message – what will the target audience take away after experiencing the thesis project.
Ask yourself, “What is its meaning to you, to me, to society, to design?”
The Thesis Committee
How many members are required for a thesis committee?
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The thesis candidate will have one (1) Chief Thesis Advisor from within
the MFA Visual Communication Design program.
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The thesis candidate will also need two (2) Associate Thesis Advisors.
These Associate Advisors may come from other programs of study at RIT.
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Additional advisors, from within or outside of RIT, can be consulted.
They are not required to sign off on the thesis.
What happens if an advisor is no longer able to serve on a thesis?
The thesis candidate must select a new member to fill the vacancy. A new title page with
committee signatures and a copy of the thesis proposal must be submitted to your program
coordinator along with a letter explaining the requested change in the committee.
What are the responsibilities of the thesis candidate?
The thesis candidate must communicate with his/her thesis advisors as the work
progresses. It is the responsibility of the thesis candidate to coordinate full thesis committee
meetings on a regular basis. The candidate must also have all written documents proofread
and edited prior to submitting them to committee members for review. It is strongly
recommended that the candidate hire a professional copy editor.
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What are the responsibilities of the thesis advisors?
Your thesis advisors are responsible for guidance and approval of the thesis.
Thesis advisors provide feedback on content-related issues. They are NOT responsible
for English language proofing and will not review document drafts that are submitted
prior to language review/copy-editing and correction.
The Thesis Proposal Structure
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Title Page
Abstract
Problem Statement
Review of Literature
Design Ideation
Methodological Design
Deliverables
Implementation Strategies
Dissemination
Evaluation Plan
Pragmatic Considerations
Timeline
Bibliography
Title Page
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Thesis title
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Candidate’s name
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MFA Visual Communication Design | School of Design
Rochester Institute of Technology
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Thesis committee members signatures
Abstract
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What is the specific scope of your research interest(s)?
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Why this topic is relevant/important (how important to the field of design,
to the broader community, etc.)
Problem Statement
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Indentify and communicate your understanding of the problem you are solving.
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What specifically are you trying to solve through design?
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What specifically are you trying to prove? What is your argument?
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How will your thesis add or contribute to the field of design?
Review of Literature
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Describe existing projects, case studies, models that have a meaningful
relationship to your research and thesis topic.
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The survey should be a well-organized overview of the research most
closely related to your topic, and the design and technical aspects.
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This might likely include theoretical approaches and methodological
research designs that have been used to understand your topic
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The survey should be complete and substantiate your work is original
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The survey must demonstrate two things:
o You are familiar with the research that has been done in this
area and can explain to fellow designers who might not be
familiar with this specific topic, what is out there
o Your thesis will fill a gap… something that has not been well
researched utilizing a methodological design
Design Ideation
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Describe/illustrate conceptual solutions of preliminary ideas and designs
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Address visual design components are relevant and reinforce your thesis:
Color, Shape, Lines, Texture, Form and Perspective, Typography.
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Clearly outline what is the design component of your thesis.
Provide sketches, storyboards, animatics, GUI wireframes to effectively
communicate your visual and/or narrative approach
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Visually illustrate how you plan to organize the content of your thesis:
design mind maps, organizational and process flowcharts, etc.
Methodological Design
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Specifically describe the methodological approach?
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What is the project going to be: print or screen design?
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Graphic design, interactive, motion graphics, 3D or a combination?
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Who is the target audience?
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Anticipated hardware/software components?
Deliverables
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If print, define what will be printed? How many printouts/pages? What are the
printout dimensions? What type of substrate will it be printed on?
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If interactive, define how will it function. How will you provide user navigation,
orientation, and feedback? How much and what types of interactivity?
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If animated, define how long is it going to be? How many animations?
What are the dimensions of the compositions? Delivery – Web or broadcast?
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If 3D, how many models? What modeling techniques? What type of shading?
How will lighting be used? What is the output and how many? Prints? QuickTime?
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If using a narrative component, what is the plot? How many characters? What
happens at the beginning, middle, and resolution?
Implementation Strategies
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Define how you plan to implement, or build, your thesis project to its final stage.
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You must demonstrate the following:
o You have the technical foundation to design and develop
your thesis project.
o The project’s breadth and scope is beyond a typical
course assignment.
o You have a strategy in place to address any design or
technical aspects that you need to develop more.
o Provide a contingent, or backup, plan to keep your project on track
Dissemination
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How will you deliver/distribute your thesis for future audience interaction?
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Include plans for submission to competitions, conferences, publication, etc.?
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Evaluation Plan
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What type of usability testing is going to be implemented?
Questionnaires? Online surveys?
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Will your analysis of the feedback be qualitative, quantitative or both?
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How will you implement the feedback given?
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Address how you will assess the final project to determine strengths
and areas for improvements.
Pragmatic Considerations
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What is the budget for your expenses and time?
o Any travel expenses?
o Any conference/competition entry fees?
o Any cost for printouts? Software? Hardware?
o Any copyright licensing fees?
Timeline
! What will be the duration (time-frame) of your research, design,
implementation, evaluation, and documentation?
Bibliography
! List only those authors included in your survey of literature
and referenced in the proposal
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Resource: A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations,
Seventh Edition: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers (Chicago Guides
to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) by Kate L. Turabian (Author)
Defending Your Thesis Proposal
All MFA Visual Communication Design thesis candidates make a formal defense of his/her
thesis proposal once it has been approved by the candidate’s thesis committee.
What is the thesis proposal defense?
The MFA Visual Communication Design program requires the thesis candidate to publicly
present his/her thesis proposal. The candidate MUST be prepared to defend his/her thesis
statement. During the defense, the candidate’s thesis committee will review the work to
determine whether the candidate can proceed with the thesis project implementation.
When is the proposal defense?
The thesis proposal defense is tentatively held at week 8 of the fall semester.
What happens if the candidate’s thesis proposal is not approved in the fall semester?
The thesis candidate must work on revisions, provided by the thesis advisors, during
the intersession between fall and spring semester. The candidate will defend his/her
thesis proposal again during the first week of the spring semester. If the thesis candidate
is unsuccessful in his/her proposal defense, the candidate will continue revisions and
may defend again in the following fall semester.
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Table 1.0 – Samples of What To Present at the Proposal Defense
Print Design
Organizational
flowchart that
illustrates the
information
architecture of the
thesis project
Asset list of all
elements needed to
complete the thesis
project
Page layout and grid
system ideas for final
print outs
Interaction Design
Motion Graphics
Organizational
flowchart that illustrates
the information
architecture of the
thesis project
Narrative script
Asset list of all elements
needed to complete the
thesis project
Thumbnail sketches and
color comps that
illustrate the visual style
Process flowchart that
outlines the user
navigation, orientation,
and feedback
Storyboards that outline
the time-based elements
Color comps and
type selection(s)
Wireframes that clearly
define the graphical
user interface
Graphic design
examples/ prototypes
that showcase your
design and technical
skills in implementing
your thesis project
Coding examples/
prototypes that
showcase your design
and technical skills in
implementing your
thesis project
MFA$Visual$Communication$Design!!|!Thesis!Proposal!Guidelines!!!!
Asset list of all elements
needed to complete the
thesis project
Animatics that show the
pacing and rhythm of
your thesis project
Motion graphics
examples/ prototypes
that showcase your
design and technical
skills in implementing
your thesis project
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3D Image / Motion
Thumbnail sketches and
color comps that
illustrate the visual style
Asset list of all elements
needed to complete the
thesis project
Storyboards that outline
any time-based
elements
Animatics that show the
pacing and rhythm of
your thesis project
3D Modeling and
animation
examples/prototypes
that showcase your
design and technical
skills in implementing
your thesis project
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