Design pedagogy

"Research for Designers: A Guide to Methods and Practice", published by SAGE, is the second edition of Gjoko Muratovski's popular book, which was first published in 2016. The new edition features a Foreword by Ken Friedman, a co-authored Preface with Don Norman, an Afterword by Steven Heller, and a reflection by David Kusuma, the President-Elect of the World Design Organization. We asked Muratovski, a DRS Fellow, a few questions to get some insight into his new book and what impact it might have on design research.

What is your background in design research?

Short answer: I hold a PhD in Design Research and I am a Fellow of the Design Research Society. I do typical academic research – I write and publish – but I also work on industry-sponsored research projects. 

Long Answer: I have a multidisciplinary design background. I came to academia from industry. Over time, I realized that that practicing design, without research to inform it, can be very ineffective. This is the reason why I went on undertaking a PhD in Design Research, which I completed in 2010. In 2011, I was commissioned by SAGE Publications to write their first design research textbook. They wanted someone who can approach this topic from multiple disciplinary perspectives and help standardize the way research for designers was taught. I spent the next five years working on this book. This became the first edition of the book “Research for Designers: A Guide to Methods and Practice”

Tell us a little about your new book. What has changed from the first edition?

The premise of the first edition was primarily focused on advocating for design research. But more importantly, the book was focused on introducing research methods to design students and practitioners in a way that seems less intimidating and more approachable. Most of the design research literature at the time was aimed at senior academics and as such, it was very difficult for newcomers to the field to embrace it. I tried to demystify the topic of research. I envisioned the book as a simple guide, offering step-by-step advice to those that may be studying these things for a very first time. 

Since then, much of the things that I was advocating for in the first edition become widely accepted. The second edition of this book includes a new outlook for the future of the field (with focus on the Fourth Industrial Revolution), some content expansion, and minor revisions in some areas. The second edition also features a suite of exclusive case studies, introduced via expert interviews that highlight how design research can be used to its full potential. Some of the topics covered include how military intelligence officers use design research to combat nuclear terrorism; how ethnographic research became a tool for decolonizing design in Africa; how Johnson & Johnson revolutionized the medical devices design research process; how a company such as Tupperware Brands started a design partnership with NASA and the International Space Station; how the world's largest consumer goods company Procter & Gamble uses AI to drive design research; how the White House uses design to drive innovation in the US Federal Government, and more.

The fundamental research principles and methods that were featured in the first edition have not changed much. They were primarily based on the “gold standard” of research found in social sciences, and as such they didn’t require much revision. However, some of the context surrounding them needed an update so that the overall discourse stays current. 

The book also features a Foreword by Ken Friedman, a co-authored Preface with Don Norman, an Afterword by Steven Heller, and a reflection by David Kusuma, the President-Elect of the World Design Organization.

For me, it was important to make sure that the book also looks good. After all, the primary audience for this book are designers. So, on this occasion, I invited Michael Bierut from Pentagram to design a new cover and visual identity for the book. He did an amazing job. His incredible body of work includes visual identity solutions for clients such as The New York Times, Saks Fifth Avenue, MasterCard, Benetton, and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. 

How do you think your book will impact design research? 

The first edition of the book has been put into practice by many universities and professional organizations who tested its relevance and usability. The book has proven to be a helpful tool for both students and teachers, and it has served as a handy resource during high-level industry projects as well. So far, the book has been used either as a core textbook, supplementary, or recommended reading at over 500 universities from around the world. The book can also be found in the corporate libraries of leading companies such as Apple, Amazon, IBM, Nike, Facebook, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford, and General Motors. The book has even been used at the White House and by the US military, and due to popular demand, it has also been translated into Chinese by Tongji University Press. 

Interestingly enough, students from many non-design disciplines have also found this book useful while writing their research theses. This has been in part due to the accessibility of the writing style, the allure of the field of design as a driver of innovation, and the universal applicability of some of the research methods featured in the book. 

While originally intended to be a resource that helps designers develop critical thinking skills by learning fundamental research principles, this book is now much more than that. More than ever before, the world needs professionals capable of understanding complex issues, while facilitating collaborative, iterative practices, and dialogues with highly diverse stakeholders. The knowledge that this book provides is now seen as essential for anyone with the aspiration of becoming a human-centric leader.

What do you think the future is like for design research? Why is design research important now?

I think that the future of design research is bright. Design research is no longer on the fringes of academia. Over the last decade we have seen a widespread use of design research – in the corporate sector, the government sector, hospitals, and even the military. And the need for highly trained design researchers will only grow further. However, the question is, are we prepared to teach design research at the scale that is now needed? With this book, I hope to enable us to scale the way we teach design research. 

But beyond this, future challenge for designers will not be to recognize obvious problems after they occur and then to solve them, but to prevent them from occurring in the first place. A systematic evidence-based research approach can help us create better-informed design practices and may even help us envision new kinds of design careers that are yet to be introduced. 

Where can people find out more about you and your work?

Some of my work can be found on my profiles on Academia.edu and ResearchGate. But if anyone would like to learn more about me and what do I do, then it might be best for them to join me on LinkedIn. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gjokomuratovski/) 

Link to the book: https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/research-for-designers/book270503

Link to my profile on the SAGE website: https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/author/gjoko-muratovski

Distance Design Education Resources

The DRS Special Interest Group in Design Pedagogy (PedSIG) is working with colleagues and institutions to support design educators continuing to move to distance and online teaching in response to the events of 2020 and the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. This transition to distance education is a particular challenge for design educators, since design curriculum often relies heavily on physical and proximate teaching and learning, particularly in the studio.

PedSIG, in collaboration with The Open University Design Group, have developed shared teaching resources available on the Distance Design Education website. The site features recipes, articles and resources about teaching, learning, staying connected and collaborating at a distance. It includes all the recordings from the series of Distance Design Education Meetups, where colleagues from around the world share their experiences and practices.

You will also find the open education resource Creating Distance Design Courses, which outlines some of the approaches and ideas used at The Open University in the UK.

In 2021, the site aims to continue support and is keen to hear from colleagues with suggestions of what would be most useful in supporting educators.

If you want to contribute material or take part in future events, then please get involved or stay in touch. Over the past year the community has learned from one another regardless of knowledge or experience: everyone has had something valuable to share.

As always, best wishes from the DRS—stay healthy and safe.

The Call for Papers for Learn X Design 2021 is now open!

Deadline: 23 March 2021

Details: https://learnxdesign.net/lxd2021/

The 6th International Conference for Design Education Researches, Learn X Design, will be hosted by Shandong University in September 2021.

This is a call for Papers, Case Studies, Workshops and Visual Papers in the following Track Themes:

Track 01 | Design Thinking to Improve Creative Problem-solving

Track 02 | Empowering Critical Design Literacy

Track 03 | Alternative Problem Framing in Design Education

Track 04 | Collaboration in Design Education

Track 05 | Co-creation of Interdisciplinary Design Educations

Track 06 | Learning Through Materiality and Making

Track 07 | Sketching & Drawing Education and Knowledge

Track 08 | Educating Data-driven Design Innovation

Track 09 | Design Learning Environments

Track 10 | Futures of Design Education

Track 11 | Design Educators as Change Agents

You can find further details on the call and track themes here: https://learnxdesign.net/lxd2021/

The deadline for submissions is 23 March 2021.

Learn X Design is the DRS Pedagogy SIG biennial conference and the 2021 conference in Shandong University will be the 6th in the series, with a conference theme of Engaging with Challenges in Design Education.

Over the past months a group of international design education researchers have been preparing the track themes as a peer group. This approach has led to 11 tracks with very clear and focused themes, reflecting contemporary issues in design education research.

Details of past Learn X Design conferences can be found here.

Learn X Design 2021 Announcement

The DRS Special Interest Group in Design Pedagogy (PedSIG) is delighted to announce that Learn X Design 2021 will take place 24–26 September 2021, hosted by Shandong University of Art & Design, China.

Learn X Design: International Conference for Design Education Researchers is a biennial conference series from PedSIG. This will be the 6^th Learn X Design conference. It follows the 2019 event hosted by METU in Ankara.

Full Paper, Workshop, and Case Study submissions for Learn X Design 2021 are due 23rd March 2021. More details will be available on the conference website as the event approaches: https://learnxdesign.net/lxd2021/

Learn X Design 2019 Proceedings Now Available!

The fifth DRS Learn X Design International Conference for Design Education Researchers (LxD 2019) took place last year on 9-12 July 2019. Full proceedings are now available on the conference website and on Google Drive. The proceedings include all 87 papers presented at the main conference and 22 short papers from the PhD Pitstop session. You’ll also find track theme introductions, a summary of the keynotes and an editorial by the conference organisers Naz A.G.Z. Börekçi, Fatma Korkut and Dalsu Özgen Koçyıldırım. These sections give a flavour of current and upcoming research interests in design education. To top it off, the book is wrapped up in the fantastic LxD 2019 visual identity, courtesy of Dalsu.

Group photo from LXD 2019

Learn X Design is the biennial conference series of the DRS Pedagogy Special Interest Group (PedSIG). LxD conferences have been running since 2011. LxD 2019 took place in Ankara and explored 'insider knowledge' through thematic areas: approaches and attitudes, educational milieu, tools and methods, and making and prototyping. These subject areas show the variety of topics in design education research. Case studies and reflections are common in this work, but there are alternative methods and topics as well. For example, conference presenters discussed dramaturgy as an approach to understand the studio and human-squirrel interaction as an adapted mode of design studio practice. A full conference report is available here.

The next Learn X Design conference location will be announced shortly. Join the PedSIG Discussion Group to find out first!

Author

Derek Jones, PedSIG Convenor; DRS Interim Advisory Council Member; Senior Lecturer, The Open University, UK

Call to Host Learn X Design 2021

The Design Research Society Pedagogy Special Interest Group (PedSIG) invites proposals to host the next PedSIG biennial conference Learn X Design 2021. For an application pack and guidance on making a proposal, please email the PedSIG Convenor Derek Jones (derek.jones@open.ac.uk). 

+++UPDATED+++ The updated deadline for proposals is 12:00 noon BST on 14 November 2019.

The PedSIG Convening Group will review proposals and schedule interviews (if required) by late November. A final decision will be announced in early December.

Above: Photo at the closing of Learn X Design 2019

PedSIG is the largest SIG in the DRS and includes members from institutions around the world. The SIG has held biannual conferences since 2011. The 2019 conference took place in Ankara and welcomed over 150 delegates from 81 institutions and 31 countries. Read more about the DRS Pedagogy SIG here. Further information on past conferences is available in the application pack.

Contact Derek Jones (derek.jones@open.ac.uk) with any further questions.

Call for DRS Pedagogy SIG and Sustainability SIG leads

Would you like the opportunity to take on the leadership of PedSIG or Sustainability SIG? Last year the convenors of these two SIGs stepped down and we have had acting SIG leads in the interim period. DRS members are invited to nominate themselves with a convening group to lead PeDSIG (Design Pedagogy SIG) and SustainabilitySIG (Sustainable Design SIG).

The DRS  Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are a vital part of the Society, bringing together communities of design researchers with a common interest in a particular area of design research. SIGs organise conferences and events to create opportunities for discussion around the world. The last two International DRS conferences have hosted themed tracks by both Sustainability and Design Pedagogy SIGs. The Design PedSIG also organises the biennial LearnXdesign conference series. Each SIG is led by a Convenor and supported by an organising group.

What to do next

If you are interested in either leading PedSIG or Sustainability SIG, please complete the application form and send to admin@designresearchsociety.org by April 1, 2019.

The applications will be reviewed by the DRS International Advisory council, and feedback will be given as required to refine the proposals. The confirmation of new SIG convenors will be subject to approval by the DRS International Advisory Council.

For further information please contact the DRS Administrator Linda Anderson  admin@designresearchsociety.org.

All Work and No Play at Learn X Design 2019?

Learn X Design 2019 kicks off on July 9^th at the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara. METU has lots of celebrate—it’s the 50^th anniversary of their first ID course and the 40^th anniversary of their separate ID program. In honour of Learn X Design and these milestones, conference chairs Naz A.G.Z. Börekçi, Fatma Korkut and Dalsu Özgen Koçyıldırım have planned some fun activities for participants.

There's a welcome reception on July 9^th in the METU Faculty of Architecture garden. This will be followed by the PhD Pit-Stop party at Hayal Kahvesi in downtown Ankara (pictured above). The following day, there's an optional traditional Turkish dinner at the Kınacızade Restaurant and a Turkish bath experience at the Şengül hammam. The conference dinner will be on July 11^th at Wyndham Ankara, and delegates will have the chance to try out their belly dancing skills!

More information about Learn X Design social events is available here. 

The DRS Learn X Design 2019 conference started today in Ankara, Turkey. Here's a fun fact in honour of this big day... Have you noticed the conference logo? It's the red and green 'X' in the image on the left. The design is particularly meaningful and was inspired by colourful geometric figures in Turkish carpets and kilims. The 'X' also represents the in-betweenness of Turkey, crossing continents and bringing together diverse cultures.

Follow the event on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more info and updates. Best wishes for a great conference!

Excitement is building for the  fifth biannual DRS Learn X Design conference, which takes place next week at the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey. Learn X Design conferences focus on research in design education and are organised by the DRS Special Interest Group in Design Pedagogy (PedSIG) and the host institution. The theme this year is insider knowledge, which refers to knowledge and experience that build into collective practices.

We’re thrilled to announce three keynote presenters, Gabriela Goldschmidt, Zeynep Çelik Alexander and Halime Demirkan. They’ll address topics like disciplinary knowledge, Bauhaus traditions and learning styles. In addition to the keynotes, there will be a PhD Pit-Stop event, workshops and three days of paper presentations. Check out the conference program here: http://drslxd19.id.metu.edu.tr/programme/

The conference has broad participation—attendees are expected from 65 institutions and 27 countries around the world! Learn X Design conferences also have good gender  balance. We’re avoiding the dreaded ‘manels’!

Follow the conference on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for regular updates.