O corpo enquanto suporte de comunicação visual
Tattoo design as a contemporary visual communication practice
x
Professional tattooists and Portuguese tattoo consumers
Professional tattooists and Portuguese tattoo consumers
Archives of the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences
Professional tattooists and Portuguese tattoo consumers
Multi-tattooed people
Professional tattooists with academic degrees in Design
The application of lettering and calligraphy in tattooing, specifically the "freehand" technique using markers directly on the skin, with the researcher providing their own skin as the support for the practical demonstration
| # | Name of Method | Research Phase | Research Approach | Researcher Role | Object of Study / Participants | N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Literature review | Exploratory | Qualitative | x | x | x |
| 2 | Interview | Exploratory | Qualitative | x | Professional tattooists and Portuguese tattoo consumers | 46 |
| 3 | Observation | Exploratory | Qualitative | x | Professional tattooists and Portuguese tattoo consumers | 13 |
| 4 | Document analysis | Generative | Qualitative | x | Archives of the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences | 28 |
| 5 | Observation | Generative | Qualitative | x | Professional tattooists and Portuguese tattoo consumers | 4 |
| 6 | Questionnaire | Generative | Qualitative | x | Multi-tattooed people | 5 |
| 7 | Interview | Generative/Evaluative | Qualitative | x | Professional tattooists with academic degrees in Design | 3 |
| 8 | Autoetnography | Generative/Evaluative | Qualitative | Participatory | The application of lettering and calligraphy in tattooing, specifically the "freehand" technique using markers directly on the skin, with the researcher providing their own skin as the support for the practical demonstration | 2 |
Knowledge Exchange (PhD Process) Produced with input
| IK&T | Academia | Design Practice | Society |
|---|---|---|---|
| Context | Yes | No | No |
| Vision | No | No | No |
| Means | No | No | No |
Create or adapt design-specific analytical instruments for studying tattoos, enabling systematic graphic manipulation, classification, and interpretation.
Undertake a dedicated semiotic study of tattoo symbolism, with explicit procedures for collecting, describing, and synthesizing symbolic meaning in context.
Develop a systematic study of color in tattooing—combinations, categorization, and culturally situated meanings across different contexts of application and appropriation.
Investigate tattooing as personal branding, especially the strategic interface between communication design and marketing in the construction of bodily self-presentation.
Support continuing graphic-design training for tattoo artists so they can remain competitive in markets increasingly driven by customized, communication-rich tattoo projects.
Explore formal educational pathways in tattooing—such as a specialization or higher-education program—integrating design with health expertise from nursing, dermatology, and plastic surgery.
