Friends,
Nigel Cross published this interesting comment to another list.
Thought I'd pass it on.
Nigel also notes Kees Dorst's fine article, "Design Research:
A Revolution Waiting To Happen." I've seen a version of these
thoughts from Kees's keynote at IASDR. Well worth reading.
Yours,
Ken Friedman
--
I was recently asked some similar questions for Ambidextrous magazine (Stanford
University), below, with outlines of my answers.
Q: If aliens were to abduct all the design researchers from this world, it
seems that designing would still go on without interruption. What, then, has
design research contributed to design practice?
A: Design research has contributed primarily to developing design as a
discipline. Something significant that I hope it now contributes to design
practice is a body of more well-educated, self-aware graduates. But it is easy
to forget that many aspects of design practice today originated within design
research. For example, the use of computers in design, rapid prototyping, and
techniques and tools for coping with complex design. Also the idea (and
practice) of systems design (aka service design), and participatory (aka
user-centred) design. It seems that it takes at least a generation for ideas
and new developments to spread from research into becoming part of normal
practice.
Q: What are some of the biggest challenges facing the field of design research?
A: To maintain an intellectual discipline, avoiding sloppy thinking (of which
there is a long history in design, and still frequently in evidence, even
amongst design academics). To keep up the boot-strapping operation of
developing our own corps of young researchers. To construct our own
intellectually-defensible paradigm of design research.
Q: How do you think the field of design research will develop?
A: It's certainly going to grow. I expect to see more interaction with design
practice, as the practitioners themselves (those graduates referred to above)
realise that there is a research dimension to design and that academia has
something to offer beyond just an educational programme. This interaction will
develop as practitioners turn to academia for support, insight and
investigation; because they understand that there is an intellectual resource
there.
Also, I refer people to a personal viewpoint article appearing in 'Design
Studies' this month (Vol. 29, No. 1), written by Kees Dorst, on "Design
Research: A Revolution Waiting To Happen". This 'Article in Press' can be
previewed now on the Design Studies Elsevier website
<http://www.elsevier.com/locate/destud> if you have ScienceDirect access. It
will be available later for free download (as part of the annual free sample
issue).
Nigel Cross
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