Research & Education in Design: People & Processes & Products & Philosophy

Book excerpt: Design is about the creation of meaningful connections to solve problems and advance human wellbeing; the discipline has always explored the beneficial links between form and function, technology and meaning, beauty and utility, people and artefacts and problems and solutions, among others. This book focuses on the crucial connection between design research and design education. Contemporary society grows increasingly hyper-complex and globally competitive. This state of affairs raises fundamental questions for both Design Education and Design Research: Should research skills be integrated into undergraduate courses? How can we modify design courses without compromising the positive aspects of the educational studio experience? Can the three cycles of higher education in design be combined into a creative and inquisitive educational continuum? To examine the relationship between research and education in Design we must address the topic of knowledge, keeping in mind that the development and dissemination of new and useful knowledge is the core purpose of a University. If we agree that design has its own things to know and ways to find out about them, then design knowledge resides in people, processes, products, and philosophy. This book explores the intersection of these four areas with the aim of uncovering insights to advance the current state of the design discipline.