What is Design Research?

UDAY  DANDAVATE  Co-­‐Founder  and  CEO  SonicRim  Ltd.  www.sonicrim.com      

WHAT  IS  DESIGN  RESEARCH?  California  College  of  the  Arts  Prepared  for:    

DESIGN  IS  CHANGING.  

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One  of  design’s  most  fundamental  tasks  is  to  help  people  deal  with  change.    Designers  stand  between  revoluNons  and  everyday  life.  When  the  internet  happened,  they  created  interfaces  with  buQons  and  hyperlinks  that  enabled  us  all  to  use  it.  Designers  make  disrupNve  innovaNons  manageable  and  approachable  so  that  they  can  be  embraced  and  assimilated  into  life,  and  they  never  forget  funcNonality  and  elegance.    In  25  years  designers  will  be  at  the  nexus  of  things.  They  will  not  be  divvied  up  according  to  their  reducNve  specialty  (graphic,  product,  furniture,  so  20th-­‐century!).  On  the  contrary,  like  physics,  design  will  be  loosely  separated  between  theoreNcal  and  applied.    TheoreNcal  designers  will  be  exquisite  generalists—a  bit  like  French  philosophers,  but  ready  to  roll  up  their  sleeves.  Applied  designers  will  visualize  complex  infrastructures  and  systems  so  that  scienNsts,  policymakers,  and  the  general  public  can  manage  and  influence  them;  they  will  bring  economy  and  common  sense  to  the  producNon  of  consumer  goods.  

“     ”  

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AN  EVOLVING  MAP  OF  DESIGN  PRACTICE  AND  DESIGN  RESEARCH.  

WHERE  DO  YOUR  ASPIRATIONS  FIT  IN?  

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Source:  Dr.  Liz  Sanders  In  “An  Evolving  Map  of  Design  Prac5ce  and  Design  Research”    WriQen  for  Interac5on  Magazine  

Expert  Mindset  “Users”  seen  as  subjects  (research  informers)  

ParNcipatory  Mindset  “Users”  seen  as  partners  (acNve  co-­‐creators)  

Design-­‐led  

Research-­‐led  

Design-­‐led  with  

expert  mindset  

Design-­‐led  with  

parNcipatory  mindset  

Research-­‐led  with  

expert  mindset  

Research-­‐led  with  

parNcipatory  mindset  

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Expert  Mindset  “Users”  seen  as  subjects  (research  informers)  

ParNcipatory  Mindset  “Users”  seen  as  partners  (acNve  co-­‐creators)  

Design-­‐led  

Research-­‐led  

Source:  Dr.  Liz  Sanders  In  “An  Evolving  Map  of  Design  Prac5ce  and  Design  Research”    WriQen  for  Interac5on  Magazine   6  

Expert  Mindset  “Users”  seen  as  subjects  (research  informers)  

ParNcipatory  Mindset  “Users”  seen  as  partners  (acNve  co-­‐creators)  

Design-­‐led  

Research-­‐led  

Dialogic Design

Source:  Dr.  Liz  Sanders  In  “An  Evolving  Map  of  Design  Prac5ce  and  Design  Research”    WriQen  for  Interac5on  Magazine   7  

Design  Dialogues  imagines  the  possibili5es  of  design  as  a  transforma5ve  re-­‐visioning  of  systems  that  maBer.  We  require  new  tools  of  design  thinking  and  social  engagement  to  energize  the  wisdom  of  par5cipants.  Dialogue  is  between  perspec5ves  around  a  mul5-­‐perspec5ve  design  canvas  of  products,  systems,  organiza5ons,  and  socie5es.  In  a  world  of  complex,  wicked  problems,  design  has  many  cultural  instruments  of  dialogue,  arts,  research,  and  ac5on.  [7]    Peter  Jones,  Dialogic  Design  InternaNonal  

Source:  Dr.  Liz  Sanders  QuoNng  Peter  Jones  in  “An  Evolving  Map  of  Design  Prac5ce  and  Design  Research”    WriQen  for  Interac5on  Magazine  

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I  WORK  HERE  

WHERE  DO  YOU  WANT  TO  WORK?  

Expert  Mindset  “Users”  seen  as  subjects  (research  informers)  

ParNcipatory  Mindset  “Users”  seen  as  partners  (acNve  co-­‐creators)  

Design-­‐led  

Research-­‐led  

Source:  Dr.  Liz  Sanders  In  “An  Evolving  Map  of  Design  Prac5ce  and  Design  Research”    WriQen  for  Interac5on  Magazine   9  

WORKING  AS  A  DESIGN  RESEARCHER.  

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Our  clients  start  with  a  quesNon.  

Who  is  our  target  audience?  What  do  they  want?  What  do  they  need?  How  are  they  different?  Why  are  they  doing  this?  What  do  they  like?  How  do  they  live?  How  is  their  life  changing?  What  do  they  use?  What  are  their  frustraNons?  Who  do  they  listen  to?  How  do  they  find  and  learn  from  informaNon?  

Will  they  like  my  idea?  Why  am  I  losing  ground?  How  do  I  need  to  change?  How  can  I  make  more  money?  What  is  my  value  proposiNon?  What  do  I  innovate?  How  do  they  make  decisions?  What  do  they  want  to  know?  What  will  delight  them?  What  should  I  make?  What  do  I  stand  for?      

?  

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?   The  quesNon  turns  into  a  project  when  it  is  Ned  to  an  opportunity,      

Growth  Share  DifferenNaNon  RetenNon    Expansion  Survival  RevitalizaNon  AdaptaNon  GlobalizaNon  Partnership            

DiversificaNon  OpNmizaNon  Alignment  RetenNon  RelaNonship  Loyalty  Visibility  Relevance  MoNvaNon  Vision  

?  

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?   and  creates  ripples  of  curiosity  within  the  client  organizaNon  for  “what’s  possible.”  

?  

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As  key  stakeholders  join  the  pursuit  of  the  “possible,”  ?  

?  ?  

?   ?  

?  

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the  design  research  process  needs  to  adapt  to  the  ripple  effect,  

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by  conNnually  serving  the  creaNve  curiosity  of  a  growing  group  of  stakeholders.  

Different  stakeholders  will  join  the  process  at  different  stages.  

Each  stakeholder’s  pre-­‐conceived  noNons  need  to  be  addressed  with  respect  and  paNence.  

Stakeholders  are  used  to  working  within  their  expert  domain  and  need  communicaNon  in  a  language  they  can  understand.  

Design  research  is  not  about  delivering  a  report;  it  involves  a  process  of  aligning  people  of  different  perspecNves,  and  ulNmately  developing  a  shared  vision  of  an  opportunity.  

This  parNcipatory  process  of  discovering  an  opportunity  is  called  “Co-­‐creaNon.”  

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Co-­‐creaNon  requires  a  shiq  in  mindset  .  .  .  especially  for  those  who  are  used  to  prescripNve  models  of  consulNng.  

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Co-­‐creaNon  requires:    A  commitment  to  generaNng  ideas  through  a  dialogue  with  different  stakeholders.  

CulNvaNon  of  empathy  and  containment  of  ego.  

Respect  for  the  ideas  of  people  who  are  not  trained  in  creaNve  professions.  

Ability  to  shiq  focus  back  and  forth  between  observaNons  and  interpretaNons,  insights  and  ideas.  

Ability  to  accommodate  mulNple  interpretaNons  of  an  observaNon.  

Genuine  curiosity  for  everyday  people’s  lives,  opinions,  and  dreams.  

An  eye  for  simple  things  that  make  a  big  difference  to  people.  

Tolerance  for  ambiguity.  

PaNence  for  paQerns  to  emerge  during  analysis,  and  not  force  conclusions  too  quickly.  

Ability  to  tell  stories.   18  

Explore   Discover   Act  

Only  Nme  passes  in  a  linear  fashion  in  a  co-­‐creaNon  process;  everything  else  has  a  ripple  effect.    

?  

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Discover  

Explore   Discover  

Act  

Explore  

Act  

Discover  

While  following  a  sequenNal  process  of  exploraNon,  discovery,  and  acNon,  a  co-­‐creator  must  be  prepared  to  generate  insights,  interpretaNons,  and  acNons  through  mulNple  engagements  with  stakeholders.  

Explore   Discover   Act  ?  

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A  GLIMPSE  INTO  THE  PRACTICE  OF  DESIGN  RESEARCH.  

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?  ?   Design  research  begins  by  quesNoning  the  quesNon.  ?  

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?  ?   Examples    

?  

Original  QuesNon    What  is  the  future  of  instrument  panels  in  the  car?    What  will  future  refrigerators  and  cooktops  look  like?        What  is  the  future  of  whiteboards?        What  will  my  consumers  pay  for?        

Redefined  QuesNon    What  is  the  future  of  informaNon  in  the  car?    What  does  the  food  journey  look  like,  and  what  are  the  opportuniNes  to  serve  the  needs  of  people  at  the  refrigerator  and  cooktop?    What  is  the  relevance  of  verNcal  surfaces  in  work  pracNces,  and  how  do  they  interact  with  other  available  surfaces?    Where  do  people  find  value,  and  why?    

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We  help  you  idenNfy  opportuniNes  to  innovate,  transform,  and  align  your  business  with  customer  needs  through  co-­‐creaNon.    

Explore   Discover   Act  

The  ExploraNon  phase  involves  the  use  of  parNcipatory  research  methods  to  tap  into  people’s  lives  and  dreams.  

Explore   Discover   Act  

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Explore   Discover   Act  

The  Discovery  process  involves  breaking  down  observaNons  and  insights  into  records,  and  then  connecNng  the  dots  to  find  paQerns,  develop  frameworks,  and  create  stories  that  can  inspire  acNon.  

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Explore   Discover   Act  

Ideas  only  have  value  through  implementaNon.  As  clients  take  insights  from  concept  to  market,  a  design  researcher  becomes  the  evangelist  for  everyday  people  in  the  client  organizaNon  as  they  develop  ideas  and  take  them  to  market.  

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WORKING  WITH  CLIENTS.    

?   Our  clients  come  to  us  with  different  types  of  quesNons.    For  example  .  .  .  

?  

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 How  does  our  new,  disrupNve  technology  fit  into  our  customers’  lives?  

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How  does  the  younger  generaNon  view  the  future?  

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         What  do  different  stakeholders  want  in  the  WebMD  Website?            

Artromick  •  InnovaNng  Mobile  CompuNng  and  Med  Server  Carts  

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Exploring  ways  in  which  acute  care  faciliNes  use  medical  carts  to  define  opportuniNes  for  the  next  generaNon  of  technology-­‐infused  medical  carts  

     How  do  acute  care  faciliNes  use  medical  carts?              

How  do  we  inspire  imaginaNon  at  the  point  of  purchase?  

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 What  are  the  informaNon  needs  of  K-­‐12  stakeholders?  

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     How  do  I  get  global  teams  to  co-­‐create  a  shared  vision?  

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How  do  I  get  execuNves  to  understand  our  customers?  

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 What  do  women  want?  

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 What  is  the  future  of  informaNon  in  cars?  

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What  is  the  future  of  technology  devices  at  home?  

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 How  do  I  innovate  a  new  branded  flavor?  

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 How  do  we  innovate  new  products  along  the  food  journey?  

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How  do  I  grow  my  office  products  business?  

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How  do  I  tap  into  the  creaNve  imaginaNon  of  my  vendors?  

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What  is  the  future  of  the  Windows  OS?  

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What  is  the  future  of  smartphones?  

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How  do  we  design  the  presence  of  our  company  in  the  imaginaNon  of  our  customers?  

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FINALLY  –  YOUR  OPPORTUNITIES.    Very  rarely  do  clients  come  to  us  looking  for  design  research  services.    Their  needs  for  research  may  be  expressed  as  ethnographic  research,  market  research,  product  research,  concept  tesNng,  usability  studies,  co-­‐creaNon,  etc.    In  all  of  these  situaNons  they  recognize  that  design  researchers  bring  unique  skill  sets  to  the  team.  

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InnovaNon  

TransformaNon  

Strategy   Design  

NPD  

Co-­‐creaNon  Trending  

Market  research  

McKinsey   Jump   IDEO  

Yankelovich  HumanNfic  

SonicRim  

Conifer  

Smart  

ConNnuum  

Gravity  Tank  

Lunar  TNS  

Doblin  

IFTF  

FINALLY  –  YOUR  OPPORTUNITIES    We  studied  a  number  of  companies  employing  design  researchers  and  how  they  posiNon  their  servicers  through  their  Website.  

We  represented  the  diverse  pracNces  within  which  design  researchers  find  meaningful  employment  through  a  diagram:  “Where  is  our  food.”  

Hopefully  this  diagram  will  help  you  align  your  aspiraNons  with  your  opportuniNes.  

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THANKS!    

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