Design Research

To date, design research has been influenced more by researchers than by designers, but this is changing rapidly.

Empathic design is about combining ambiguous approaches

like empathy, intuition, inspiration and subjective visions,

with user data and other sources of objective information.

Multi-sensorial, self-documenting tools given to the users, for studying material aspects of their lives and environments: objects, equipment, and their constellations in terms of colors and shapes.

The probe’s materials are typically communicative, visually interesting. easily approachable, and specially directed for the users.

Probes are used for inspiration, information, participation and

dialogue reasons.To be useful for design, it needs to be interpreted.

Collages provide a quick and intuitive summary of probes studies.

Design for the future experiences of

connected people, communities and cultures

All people are creative, but not all people become co-designers.

It depends on the level of expertise, passion and creativity

(doing, adapting, making, creating).

Researches need to learn how to offer relevant experiences to facilitate people’s expressions of creativity at all levels:

The participatory design framework can help us decide which tools and techniques are most relevant:

• Form (making, telling, enacting)
• Purpose (probing,prime,understand,generate)
• Context (participants, location,relationship)

Is a way to fill the fuzzy front end with the ideas,

dreams and insights of the people who are to be

served through design.

The market-driven era is finally giving away to the people-driven era.

The professionals who understand people (whether designers or not)

will be the ones to lead design in the future.

Is more than the functional aspects of a product in use.

A product affects users experiences in 3 levels:

• Visceral (initial impact)
• Behavioural (total experience of use)
• Reflective (afterwards effect in taste and feelings).

Rich experience information consists of 3 layers:

1. The actual situation (context and state)

2. Motivations, aspirations and feelings

3. Values, meanings, memories and dreams.

Different levels of knowledge are accessed by different methods:

• Interviews for what people say/think
• Observations for what people do/use
• Generative sessions for what people know/feel/dream.

Making people aware of their experiences and the many considerations that surround them

The rich experience information must be successfully communicated to the design team in order to effectively design people-centered innovative products.

The contextmapping procedure combines several methods

in order to generate rich experience information, and

it‘s composed of 6 stages:

• preparation
• sensitization
• sessions
• analysis
• sharing
• conceptualization

Visual expression can support the processes of thinking, talking or storing.

Learning effects:

• Decoration (attractive but irrelevant)
• Representation (concretize the story)
• Organization (structure some aspect)
• Interpretation (clarify abstract concepts)
• Transformation (facilitate retention)

Persuasion: images need to have certain properties:

• Iconicity (seem)
• Indexicality (proof)
• Indeterminacy (imply).

The AIDA principle:

• Attraction (catchy to the eye)
• Interest (appealing content)
• Desire (desire to learn), Action (actual learning).

A mindmap behaves similar to an infographic: it directly draws attention to the main topic and then branches off.

Can be used both for fast note-taking and note-making, or when a group of people want to develop a shared vision

Can be used across all the phases of the design process, from sketchy (evoking comments) to very detailed styles (convincing on facts).

A product design storyboard enables the reader to experience and reflect on the expressed ideas.

Design Research

Storyboards

Visualizing and

Communicating

Mindmaps

Infographics

Topography

based on visual representations of environmental spaces, it is a cognitive collage of the design research space, starting on 2006, but evolving dynamically.

Cultural

Probes

Generative

Tools

People designing WITH people.

Rich Experience

Information

Context

Mapping

PARTICIPATORY

DESIGN

References

Experts designing

FOR people

• Sanders, E.B.-N. (2006) DESIGN RESEARCH IN 2006. Design Research Quarterly, V.1:1, Design Research Society, September 2006. pp. 25.

• Sanders, E. (2008). An evolving map of design practices and design research. In Interactions - experiences, people, technology. ACM. Volume XV.6 November+December 2008, p. 13-17.

• Sanders, E.B.-N and Chan, P.K (2007). Emerging trends in design reserach, changes over time in the landscape of design research. IASD07. International Association of Societies of Design Research.4. Co-creation and the New Landscapes of Design.

• Sanders and Stappers. Co-creation and the new landscapes of design. CoDesign (2008) vol. 4 (1) pp. 5-185.

• Sanders, E B.-N et al (2010). A framework for Organizing the tools and techniques of participatory design. PDC 2010, November 29 -December 3, 2010 Australia.

• Sleeswijk Visser. Bringing the everyday life of people into design. THESIS BOOK (2009) pp. 1-
• 273 (Capitulo 1: p 10-25)

• Gaver B et al (1999). Cultural probes. Interactios. January+Februrary 1999

• Mattelmaki, T (2006). Design probes. D.A Dissertation. Helsinki: University of Art and Design. Probes: Studying experiences for design empathy. Article 4. P 143-154.

• Mattelmaki, T (2006). Design probes. D.A Dissertation. Helsinki: University of Art and Design.
• Chapter 4. pag 58 - 63.

• Van der Lught (2005). Visual communication for designers: Infographics and more

• Stappers, PJ. (2005) A miniature motion to mindmaps

• Stappers, PJ. (2003) When, why, and how to use storyboards Van der Lelie (2006) The value
• of storyboards in the product design process.