About

PAD. Pages on Arts and Design is an international, peer-reviewed (double-blind), open-access, online journal dedicated to theoretical, historical, and critical research in arts and design.

The journal is published twice a year and has been continuously active since 2018.

In 2025, PAD was included in the Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research (ANVUR) list of Class A journals for Area 08 – Architecture and Sector 08/C1 (Design and Technological Design of Architecture), the highest level of recognition within the Italian national research assessment system.

PAD aims to advance critical and scholarly inquiry into design and the arts as cultural, epistemological, and social practices. The journal welcomes theoretically, historically, and methodologically grounded contributions that address relevant questions and offer original perspectives and knowledge to contemporary international debates in design and arts research.

The scope of PAD includes, but is not limited to:

• design theory, history, and epistemology
• critical and cultural studies of design
• design practices, methods, and processes
• arts and design education and pedagogy
• industrial and product design, visual communication, and interaction and interface design
• visual and performing arts
• interior, architectural, and urban design
• interdisciplinary perspectives connecting design and the arts with the humanities and social sciences

PAD particularly encourages interdisciplinary and critical perspectives and contributions that engage with design cultures across diverse geographical, social, and cultural contexts.

The journal combines the rigour of established academic publishing standards with the accessibility and openness of digital publishing, ensuring rapid dissemination and wide accessibility of research outputs. All articles are published open access, and accepted submissions are subject to a publication fee. Authors retain the copyright of their work.

PAD originates from PalermoDesign, an online magazine founded in 2005 by Vanni Pasca and a group of design researchers. Between 2005 and 2011, the publication explored emerging geographies of design with a particular focus on the Mediterranean context. In 2010, PalermoDesign was selected for the ADI Design Index for excellence in design research.

From 2011 onward, PAD evolved into an international scholarly journal, expanding its editorial structure and positioning itself as a node within an international network of researchers engaged in critical debates on design culture and the arts. A double-blind peer-review process was formally adopted in 2012, and in 2014 PAD was officially recognised as a scientific journal by ANVUR. Further recognition followed with inclusion in the ADI Design Index 2017 (PAD#8 and PAD #13) in the category Editorial Production and Historical and Critical Research.

All submissions undergo a double-blind peer-review process conducted by external reviewers. PAD adheres to internationally recognised standards of academic publishing and research ethics.

Language and Accessibility
PAD is published entirely in English to support international accessibility and scholarly exchange.
Issues are generally organised around a thematic focus and developed through open calls for papers.

Indexing and Identification
PAD is identified by ISSN 1972-7887 and is indexed in ROAD, OAJI, DOAJ, ErihPlus, Google Scholar, BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine), Fatcat!.