Dear all,

I don't have time to reply in detail today, but I would like to thank everyone who has taken time to reply so far for their responses, and add a small comment to stir the debate.

I think the debate between Alec, David, and Cindy has proven what I set out in the beginning. That is, that there is still a confusion in some parts as to whether and what design methods can be used as research methods (and in what context), or whether design research methods are mainly taken from established fields, i.e. basics, qualitative, and quantitative methods as Cindy has indicated.

As Fatina indicated, design methods can obviously become an integral part of the research process. This is also my experience from my own PhD where I have used practice to explore some of the concepts investigated. However, although there are increasing sources, there is nothing, like a coherent debate, or some sort of basic agreement about these issues yet. Therefore the debate. Taken seriously, perhaps it could lead to some kind of compendium that sets out the ground-rules for (practice-based) research in art, craft, and design?

best wishes,

Kristina


-----Original Message-----
From:   PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and              related research in Design on behalf of Fatina Saikaly
Sent:   Wed 10/13/2004 12:11 AM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Cc:	
Subject:        Re: vain design researchers? and NEW STRAND

dear Kristina -- you asked:
"1) what specific design research methods there are in design, and
2) how are they different to design methods,
3) or whether they are only different in the mode of application."

Alec answered "How about to start with: intuition, imagination, designing ?"

in my PhD thesis, i argued that designing is considered, in particular
research settings, as an integral part of the methodology of research. i
mean designing was one of the different strategies/methods adopted during
the research process. it was often combined to other research
strategies/methods.

i will not go on discussing this issue (i wrote all my thesis about it, i
nead a break...), but i will give you some of the references.

1. about the epistemological and methodological issues concerned with
designing as an integral part of the methodology of research, i.e. one of
the methods used in a particular research setting, i recommend some of the
latest publications of Alain Findeli:

FINDELI, A., 1999. Introduction. Design Issues, volume 15, number 2, pp 1-3.

FINDELI, A., 2001. Rethinking design education for the 21st century:
theoretical, methodological, and ethical discussion. Design Issues, volume
17, number 1, pp 5-17.

FINDELI, A., and DE CONINCK, P., 2002. Une formation universitaire de
recherche en “Design et Complexité.” In: Les Sciences de la Conception.
Enjeu Scientifique du XXI° Siècle. En Hommage à Herbert Simon, Lyon,
France, 15-16 Mars 2002. Lyon, France: INSA Lyon.

2. i also recommend an old publication of Nigel Cross:
CROSS, N., 1982. Designerly ways of knowing. Design Studies, volume 3,
number 4, pp 221-227.

3. about concrete examples of master and PhD theses where designing was one
of the research methods used, you can see (the list is too long, i'll just
give give you few examples):

BERTOLUCI, G., 2001. Proposition d’une Méthode d’Amélioration de la
Cohérence des Processus Industriels. Ph.D. thesis, ENSAM Paris.

DUNNE, A., 1999. Hertzian Tales. Electronic Products, Aesthetic Experience
and Critical Design. Ph.D. thesis, Royal College of Art.

MARCHAND, A., 2003. Bionique en Design: Approche Revisitée et Perspectives
Nouvelles.  M.Sc. thesis. University of Montreal.

best regards -- Fatina

Dr. Fatina Saikaly
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