Emma
The only practitioners in the visually creative design disciplines that I am aware of who have taken to “reading research literature or conducting research to support professional practice” are those who undertook practice as part of their PhD. This group does appear to fit within the scope of your study and 14 case studies that include the personal motivation for undertaking practice to support data collection plus images of outcomes are available at http://lboro.ac.uk/microsites/lds/dprg-casestudies/
You ask the question, “If reading and conducting research really are effective or ineffective for supporting or improving professional practice, there should be empirical evidence to support this”. I recently designed the iD Cards design tool app to support understanding and communication during product development. This has been validated, branded and promoted by the Industrial Designers Society of America and is available as a free download via their website at http://www.idsa.org/id-cards-now-available-app This is only one case study but it does demonstrate the contribution that academic research can make to professional practice. There are numerous design tools out there, but the key for me is whether or not they are actually used or supported by the practitioner community that they claim to support.
Best wishes for your research.
Mark
Dr Mark Evans
Reader in Industrial Design
Design Practice Research Group Leader
Loughborough Design School
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/lds/research/groups/design-practice/
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