Beyond the Call for Papers. Situated Editorial Models for Design Knowledge Production

Dominant publishing models in design research—such as call for papers, standardized peer review, and quantitative evaluation—are being increasingly questioned for their inadequacy in representing the epistemic and visual nature of design knowledge (Gemser et al., 2012). This paper proposes an alternative approach grounded in situated practices and curatorial coherence. Drawing on the case of Graphicus, a century-old Italian journal undergoing editorial reinvention, we examine how its deliberate and project-based model exemplifies a form of editorial ecology—understood as the set of relational, curatorial, and temporal conditions that support knowledge production in design—which aligns with the discipline’s reflective, practice-based orientation. Rather than portraying Graphicus as an isolated case, we frame it within a broader ecology of emerging practices that seek to reform editorial paradigms from within. The methodology is reflective and embedded, drawing from direct involvement in the editorial process over recent issues. Ongoing research aims to develop evaluative criteria more attuned to design epistemologies—such as curatorial depth, visual argumentation, and thematic continuity—rarely captured by conventional metrics. This model resonates with other emerging editorial practices, such as PAD and Progetto Grafico, which challenge the homogenizing logic of mainstream academic publishing. Editorial alternatives are framed as epistemic acts of resistance, fostering “epistemic biodiversity” (Formia, Lupo, Mehmeti, 2023) through the coexistence and active curation of diverse knowledge cultures—ranging from textual to visual, from embodied to tacit and indigenous epistemologies—within the editorial process, including through selection strategies, layout experimentation, and inclusive authorship practices. The editorial space becomes a site of research and reflection, rather than a neutral dissemination tool. In conclusion, we outline preliminary methodological coordinates for situated editorial practice: activate editorial boards as research collectives; design issues as cohesive visual-narrative projects; integrate textual, visual, and project-based contributions; expand timelines for curatorial reflexivity; adopt dialogical and process-based peer feedback; recognize curatorship as knowledge production. These principles can be piloted in other publishing contexts through small-scale experimentation, comparative analysis of issue coherence, and integration of peer feedback mechanisms that prioritize narrative depth and processual quality. Examples include reflective logs for editorial teams, design-led curatorial frameworks, and the implementation of interdisciplinary review panels. Situated editorial design emerges as a metareflective and political practice, reconfiguring how knowledge is produced, assessed, and communicated.