Design Research: Methods and Perspectives

Description:

The tools of design research, writes Brenda Laurel, will allow designers "to claim and direct the power of their profession." Often neglected in the various curricula of design schools, the new models of design research described in this book help designers to investigate people, form, and process in ways that can make their work more potent and more delightful. "At the very least," Peter Lunenfeld writes in the preface, "design research saves us from reinventing the wheel. At its best, a lively research methodology can reinvigorate the passion that so often fades after designers join the profession."

The goal of the book is to introduce designers to the many research tools that can be used to inform design as well as to ideas about how and when to deploy them effectively. The chapter authors come from diverse institutions and enterprises, including Stanford University, MIT, Intel, Maxis, Studio Anybody, Sweden?s HUMlab, and Big Blue Dot. Each has something to say about how designers make themselves better at what they do through research, and illustrates it with real world examples--case studies, anecdotes, and images. Topics of this multi-voice conversation include qualitative and quantitative methods, performance ethnography and design improvisation, trend research, cultural diversity, formal and structural research practice, tactical discussions of design research process, and case studies drawn from areas as unique as computer games, museum information systems, and movies. Interspersed throughout the book are one-page "demos," snapshots of the design research experience. Design Research charts the paths from research methods to research findings to design principles to design results and demonstrates the transformation of theory into a richly satisfying and more reliably successful practice.

Brenda Laurel is Chair of the graduate Media Design Program at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California and was the co-founder of Purple Moon. She is the author of Utopian Entrepreneur (MIT Press, 2001).

Table of Contents:

Preface: The Design Cluster Peter Lunenfeld	10
	Introduction: Muscular Design Brenda Laurel	16
	Acknowledgments Brenda Laurel	20
	People
	Section Introduction: The Changing Role of Research Christopher Ireland	22
	Qualitative Methods: From Boring to Brilliant Christopher Ireland	23
	Ethnography and Critical Design Practice Tim Plowman	30
	The Paradox of Design Research Bonnie McDaniel Johnson	39
	Designing for the New Old Eric Dishman	41
	Demo: Design Improvisation Brenda Laurel	49
	Hispanic Culture in Design Research Carlos Santos	55
	Overview of Quantitative Methods in Design Research Stacey Purpura	63
	User Requirements Abbe Don and Jeff Petrick	70
	Form
	Section Introduction: Design (As) Research Anne Burdick	82
	Speculation, Serendipity and Studio Anybody Lisa Grocott	83
	Toward a Definition of the Decorational Denise Gonzales Crisp	94
	Demo: DesignWriting Anne Burdick	101
	Sensory Anomalies Michael Naimark	109
	Spontaneous Cinema as Design Practice Rachel Strickland	118
	Game Forms for New Outcomes Emma Westecott	129
	Strategy, Tactics and Heuristics for Research Rob Tow	135
	Process
	Section Introduction: Test Pilots Brenda Laurel	144
	Bringing Clarity to the "Fuzzy Front End" Darrel Rhea	145
	Research Methods for Designing Effective Experiences Nathan Shedroff	155
	Enabling Design Sean Donohue	164
	Non-Assumptive Research Dorothy Deasy	172
	Play as Research Eric Zimmerman	176
	Demo: Creating a Culture of Design Research Eric Zimmerman	185
	Interdisciplinary Design Research Patrick Svensson	193
	Conceptual Designs B. J. Fogg	201
	Moving Your Idea Through Your Organization Christopher Loch	212
	Demo: Vibe-Hunting Somi Kim	221
	Living Proof Tracy Moon	225
	Research to Fuel the Creative Process David Canaan	234
	Action
	Section Introduction: Reports from the Field Brenda Laurel	242
	"You Can't Bring That Game to School!" Kurt Squire and Philip Tan	244
	SimSmarts Will Wright and Brenda Laurel	253
	Social Impact by Design Darion Rapoza	260
	Researching America's Army Margaret Davis	268
	A Virtual Walk on the Moon Bruce Damer	276
	Demo: Mobium Jin Hyun Park	285
	Research and the Movies Buffy Shutt	293
	Real Brand Alignment David Masten	309
	Conclusion: Beauty, Brains and Bravery Brenda Laurel	316
	References and Acknowledgments	317
	Index	323
	Biographies	329

描述：
設計研究的工具，Brenda Laurel寫道，將使設計師能夠「主張並引導他們的專業力量」。在設計學校的各種課程中經常被忽視的設計研究新模型，可以幫助設計師以更有效和更愉悅的方式研究人、形式和過程，使他們的工作更有力量。Peter Lunenfeld在前言中寫道：「設計研究至少可以避免我們重新發明輪子。在最好的情況下，一種活躍的研究方法可以重新激發設計師加入專業後常常消失的激情。」本書的目標是向設計師介紹許多可以用來提供設計資訊的研究工具，以及如何在何時有效地應用這些工具的想法。各章的作者來自不同的機構和企業，包括斯坦福大學、麻省理工學院、英特爾、Maxis、Studio Anybody、瑞典的HUMlab和Big Blue Dot。每個作者都對設計師如何通過研究使自己在所做的事情上更好有所說法，並通過真實世界的案例研究、軼事和圖像加以說明。這個多聲音對話的主題包括定性和定量方法、表演民族誌和設計即興、趨勢研究、文化多樣性、形式和結構研究實踐、設計研究過程的戰術討論，以及來自電腦遊戲、博物館信息系統和電影等獨特領域的案例研究。整本書中穿插著一頁的「演示」，展示了設計研究的經驗。《設計研究》將研究方法轉化為研究結果、設計原則和設計成果的路徑，並展示了理論如何轉化為豐富滿足和更可靠成功的實踐。Brenda Laurel是加州帕薩迪納藝術中心設計學院研究生媒體設計項目的主席，也是Purple Moon的共同創始人。她是《烏托邦企業家》（MIT Press，2001年）的作者。

目錄：
前言：設計群集 Peter Lunenfeld 10
引言：肌肉設計 Brenda Laurel 16
致謝辭 Brenda Laurel