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2009 | Buch

DRM, a Design Research Methodology

verfasst von: Lucienne T.M. Blessing, Amaresh Chakrabarti

Verlag: Springer London

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

The initial motivator for the development of DRM, a Design Research Methodology, and the subsequent writing of this book was our frustration about the lack of a common terminology, benchmarked research methods, and above all, a common research methodology in design. A shared view of the goals and framework for doing design research was missing. Design is a multidisciplinary activity occurring in multiple application areas and involving multiple stakeholders. As a consequence, design research emerges in a variety of disciplines for a variety of applications with a variety of subjects. This makes it particularly difficult to review its literature, relate various pieces of work, find common ground, and validate and share results that are so essential for sustained progress in a research community. Above all, design research needs to be successful not only in an academic sense, but also in a practical sense. How could we help the community develop knowledge that is both academically and practically worthwhile? Each of us had our individual ideas of how this situation could be improved. Lucienne Blessing, while finishing her thesis that involved studying and improving the design process, developed valuable insights about the importance and relationship of empirical studies in developing and evaluating these improvements. Amaresh Chakrabarti, while finishing his thesis on developing and evaluating computational tools for improving products, had developed valuable insights about integrating and improving the processes of building and evaluating tools.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

1. Introduction

Abstract

The importance of design, in particular as an industrial activity and the increasingly complex and dynamic context in which it takes place, has led to the wish to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of design practice as well as education. In this chapter, we discuss the nature of design, review the current state of design research, and explain the need for a common methodology for design research.

2. DRM: A Design Reseach Methodology

Abstract

This chapter presents the outline of our methodology and introduces the main stages and concepts. At the end of the chapter, a comparison is made with the few other methodologies that have a similar purpose.

3. Research Clarification

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the first stage of DRM, the RC stage. It discusses an approach and methods to support the initial stage of a design research project or programme. The aims are to identify and refine a research problem that is both academically and practically worthwhile and realistic. This involves obtaining an overview of the available understanding of the area of interest, so that it is possible to plan for the most suitable research to solve this problem. Both the understanding and the research plan will continue to evolve as the project or programme progresses through its various stages, in particular during the DS-I stage.

4. Descriptive Study I: Understanding Design

Abstract

Design methodologies emphasise the importance of investigating the needs of the users and understanding the situation a product is supposed to improve, in particular when this situation is complex and failure of the product is expensive or unacceptable. Developing support for design is no different; designing is a complex activity, and failure of support can be expensive in terms of time, people and money and can have a large effect on practice. Descriptive Studies help understand this complex activity and should provide a sound basis on which to develop support. This chapter focuses on the second stage of DRM: the DS-I stage. It discusses how, starting with the deliverables from the RC stage – the Initial Reference and Impact Models, the preliminary Criteria and the Overall Research Plan – sufficient understanding of the topic of interest and of the factors that determine its success can be obtained, such that areas for which development of support is realistic and effective can be identified with confidence.

5. Prescriptive Study: Developing Design Support

Abstract

The focus of this chapter is on the third stage of DRM: the PS stage. It discusses how, starting with the results from DS-I or DS-II, one can proceed to develop a design support (i.e., knowledge, guidelines, checklist, methods, tools, etc.) in order to enhance, eliminate or reduce the influence of some of the critical factors found in DS-I or DS-II. Such a PS is a purposeful activity with the resulting support or its concept as the end product, and is, therefore, a design task in itself. The support is usually not a direct derivative of the findings from DS-I or DS-II. Creativity and imagination is required to develop effective and efficient design support. For this, a number of generic problem solving and development methods can be used.

6. Descriptive Study II: Evaluating Design Support

Abstract

The focus of this chapter is on the fourth stage of DRM: the DS-II stage. It discusses how empirical studies can be used to evaluate the application and impact of the design support that has been developed in the PS stage (see Chapter 5). Because the functionalities and means of the realisation of the Actual Support and the Evaluation Plan are closely linked, an Outline Evaluation Plan should already be formulated while developing the support, i.e., the DS-II stage should start during the PS stage. Many details of planning and undertaking an empirical study have been discussed in Chapter 4 and the reader is expected to be familiar with that chapter. This chapter focuses on: the types of evaluation we distinguish; the differences between DS-I and DS-II; existing evaluation approaches; and the specific issues related to the use of an empirical study for evaluation purposes.

7. Writing Up: Publishing Results

Abstract

Research is “inherently a social enterprise...”, “...a communal achievement, for in learning something new the discoverer both draws on and contributes to the body of knowledge held in common to all scientists.” (Griffiths 1995) Publications are the means through which knowledge is disseminated and evaluated by the larger research community, and through which new directions for research are found. Publications have to have value to others and are essential to obtain feedback. They should not only be considered as a documentation of results. In particular, the reviewing process prior to publication can be extremely worthwhile to improve not only the publication but also the research work itself. Getting colleagues to read the writing can be a very effective means of obtaining first feedback, in particular when they are less familiar with the work; they will ask questions that those that are all too familiar will not ask. As Cuba (1993) suggests,

“You must be willing to part with your words [...] Incorporating the constructive criticism of others gives you an additional chance to ‘get it right’ [...] It is our responsibility as writers to allow enough time so that our first is never our final draft [...] Allowing time for revising is no less important than logging hours in the library for preparing to write.”

8. Summary and Conclusions

Abstract

As the final chapter in this book, we would like to share our experiences and that of our students and colleagues regarding the impact of DRM.

Backmatter

Titel: DRM, a Design Research Methodology
verfasst von: Lucienne T.M. Blessing
Amaresh Chakrabarti
Verlag: Springer London
Electronic ISBN: 978-1-84882-587-1
Print ISBN: 978-1-84882-586-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-587-1

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