Cores digitais no ensino superior público de design gráfico no Brasil: um estudo dos conteúdos curriculares e da percepção do corpo discente.

Abstract

In the digital age, technology has expanded visuals and changed the nature of the design process. At the same time, new techniques required new skills and knowledge, to allow the exploitation of available resources aiming at the quality of the final products. When leaving the materiality of analogue bases and assuming digital formats, graphic design acquired specific needs for handling and controlling colours. This research analysed the contents covered about digital colours in public higher education courses in graphic design in Brazil, from the perspective of its adequacy to the needs of use in digital design tools. In the literature review, the activity of the graphic designer, their areas of expertise, higher education and the public institutions that offer the course in the country are addressed. Subsequently, fundamental concepts of colour theory are reviewed ─ physiological aspects, visible spectrum, colour attributes and chromatic synthesis ─ and the main digital colour models are presented, as well as specific technical contents about equipment and procedures for colour control. The research - of mixed nature (qualitative and quantitative) and exploratory-descriptive character- was carried out in two stages: (i) document analysis, based on the curricular matrices and pedagogical course projects (PPC) of 12 (twelve) graphic design courses selected; and (ii) a survey with the student body of the courses, all offered by Brazilian public education institutions, from different regions in the country. The data collection tool used was an electronic questionnaire structured on the free Google™ Forms platform, containing objective questions. The results indicate deficiencies related to the learning of digital colours by students of higher education courses in graphic design at the public institutions analyzed. Finally, it is concluded that there is insufficiency in the insertion/approach/absorption of contents related to the theme of this study, recommending continuity in research on digital colours in higher education in graphic design.