As a longtime design practitioner-turned design researcher, I’ve become more aware that design research and the matters discussed on this list aren’t often discussed in broader circles inside and outside design practice. My experience is that practitioners (and my family members) have responded to “design research” with head scratching and strange looks until I’ve placed it in context by giving examples of my work and the work of others. When shared in plain language, I’ve found that people respond favorably to design research—often sharing excitement that design thought leaders are exploring social issues and adding to human knowledge/understanding by examining how people make sense of the world around them by studying the solutions they create.
So, in order to show design research in action (and as a “home base” for my own research projects in order to inform participants and stakeholders of research activities) I’ve recently developed a network of sites called Design Workbench (http://designworkbench.com). I’m currently leading a team and operating a project examining/addressing end-of-life decisions through the site (http://wkbn.ch/eoldecisions) and so far it’s proving to be a useful tool for communicating our team’s approach to potential collaborators, participants, and funders. I’ve also found that those not involved in the project have shared that they have a clearer understanding of design research.
I’m interested to learn what others who are taking a “friendly face” approach like this have learned through making research work more accessible.
Best,
Dennis
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Dennis Cheatham
Design Research | Graphic, Interaction + Experience Design
Assistant Professor, Graphic Design
Faculty Affiliate, Interactive Media Studies
Miami University | Oxford, Ohio | USA
[log in to unmask] | @dennischeatham
dennischeatham.com | designworkbench.com
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