Design Research : Research for/on/by Design

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Design Research Research for/on/by Design

• Kevin McCartney Cork Centre for
  Architectural Education August 2009

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What is research?

• a systematic activity with the goal of
  Knowledge

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What is research?

• a systematic activity with the goal of
  Knowledge
• the collection, manipulation and presentation of
  Information

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What is research?

• a systematic activity with the goal of
  Knowledge
• the collection, manipulation and presentation of
  Information
• a personal framework for increasing
  understanding

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Ludwig Wittgenstein

• Working in philosophy like working in
  architecture - is really more a working on
  oneself On ones way of seeing things

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Paul Valery

• The more I meditate on my art, the more I
  practice it, the more I think and act, the more I
  feel my own being with an even surer delight and
  clarity
• Paul Valery (1932) Socratic Dialogue concerning
  Eupalinos, the architect

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What is doctoral research?

• an original and significant contribution to
  knowledge

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What is doctoral research?

• an original and significant contribution to
  knowledge
• which is communicable

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What is doctoral research?

• an original and significant contribution to
  knowledge
• which is communicable
• the sources of which can be re-traced

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Fields ofACADEMIC ENQUIRY
SCIENCE HUMANITIES
CP Snow(1957) Two Cultures
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Fields ofACADEMIC ENQUIRY
DESIGN
SCIENCE HUMANITIES
Bruce Archer (1979) Designerly Approach to
Knowledge
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Characteristic Modes of Discourse, Development
Testing
DESIGN
SCIENCE HUMANITIES
Natural language
Math Experiment
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Characteristic Modes of Discourse, Development
Testing
Modelling (graphic physical)
DESIGN
SCIENCE HUMANITIES
Natural language
Math
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Where did architecture research begin?
Modelling
DESIGN
SCIENCE HUMANITIES
Natural language
Math
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Where did architecture research begin?
Modelling
DESIGN
SCIENCE HUMANITIES
Natural language
Math
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Where is architecture research going?
Modelling
DESIGN
SCIENCE HUMANITIES
Natural language
Math
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What is design research?

• is the comparison of designs
• T. De Jong Leen van Duin (2000) Ways to Study
  Design
• N.B. De Jong uses trhe term Design Research as
  just one of several types of research related to
  design that describes and analyses existing
  designs with a known context

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De Jongs categories of ways to research design

• Naming describing
• Design research typology
• Evaluating
• Modelling
• Programming optimising
• Technical study
• Design study
• Study by design

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What is design research?

• Research for Design
• Research on/about design
• Research by Design

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What is design research?

• Research for Design
• Research on/about design
• Research by Design
• Studying the effects of actively and
  systematically varying both design solutions and
  their context (De Jong, 2005)OR
• Exploration of possibilities

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UoA 63 descriptor boundaries
UK HEFCE

•       fine arts
•       applied arts and crafts
•       spatial, 2D 3D art and design
•       photography, time-based and digital media
  
•       critical, historical and cultural studies
•       contributions to policy, management and
  entrepreneurship in creative industry, AD
•       contributions to the construction of a
  scholarly infrastructure
•       curatorship
•       pedagogic research in areas identified

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Generic Quality Levels
4 Quality that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
3 Quality that is internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour but which nonetheless falls short of the highest standards of excellence
2 Quality that is recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
1 Quality that is recognised nationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
u/c Quality that falls below the standard of nationally recognised work. Or work which does not meet the published definition of research for the purposes of this assessment.
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Quality of Research Outputs

• Significance. The degree to which the work has
  enhanced, or is likely to enhance, knowledge,
  thinking, understanding and/or practice in its
  field.
• Originality. The degree to which the work has
  developed new formulations or data and/or
  initiated new methods and/or forms of expression.
• Rigour. The degree of intellectual precision,
  systematic method and/or integrity embodied in
  the research.

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What is doctoral research?

• an original and significant contribution to
  knowledge
• which is communicable
• the sources of which can be re-traced

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What is a professional doctorate?

• OriginalSignificantContribution to Practice

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What is a professional doctorate?

• OriginalSignificantContribution to Practice
• Doctoral level but not equivalent to PhD

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What is a professional doctorate?

• OriginalSignificantContribution to Practice
• Doctoral level but not equivalent to PhD
• May be more prized by industrial/professional
  employers

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What is design research?

• Research for Design
• Research on/about design
• Research by Design

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Brainstorming for types of design research?

• FORM THREE GROUPS to brainstorm
• RED group Research for Design
• ORANGE Research on/about design
• BLUE group Research by Design

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Brainstorming scenario
for ALL groups

• a design team is proposing a very tall building
  for the local town centre. Concern is anticipated
  regarding its impact on views across the city and
  on sun, light and wind on the neighbouring
  buildings and public spaces.

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Brainstorming scenarioRED Group Design FOR
Research

• What issues and methods might you tackle in this
  scenario?

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Brainstorming scenarioORANGE Group Research ON
Design

• What issues and methods might you tackle in this
  scenario?

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Brainstorming scenarioBLUE Group Design BY
Research

• What issues and methods might you tackle in this
  scenario?