Design Research :
Research for/on/by Design
Kevin McCartney
Cork Centre for Architectural Education
August 2009
What is “research”?

“a systematic activity with the goal of
Knowledge”
What is “research”?
“a systematic activity with the goal of
Knowledge”
 “the collection, manipulation and
presentation of Information”

What is “research”?
“a systematic activity with the goal of
Knowledge”
 “the collection, manipulation and
presentation of Information”
 “a personal framework for increasing
understanding”

Ludwig Wittgenstein
“Working in philosophy – like working in
architecture … - is really more a
working on oneself … On one’s way of
seeing things”
Paul Valery
“The more I meditate on my art, the more
I practice it, the more I think and act, the
more I feel my own being with an even
surer delight and clarity”
Paul Valery (1932) Socratic Dialogue concerning Eupalinos, the architect
What is “doctoral research”?

an original
and significant
contribution to knowledge
What is “doctoral research”?
an original
and significant
contribution to knowledge
 which is communicable

What is “doctoral research”?
an original
and significant
contribution to knowledge
 which is communicable
 the sources of which can be re-traced

Fields of
ACADEMIC ENQUIRY
SCIENCE
HUMANITIES
CP Snow(1957): “Two Cultures”
Fields of
ACADEMIC ENQUIRY
DESIGN
SCIENCE
HUMANITIES
Bruce Archer (1979):
“Designerly Approach to Knowledge”
Characteristic Modes of Discourse,
Development & Testing
DESIGN
SCIENCE
Math &
Experiment
HUMANITIES
Natural
language
Characteristic Modes of Discourse,
Development & Testing
Modelling:
(graphic & physical)
DESIGN
SCIENCE
Math
HUMANITIES
Natural
language
Where did architecture
begin?
research
Modelling
DESIGN
SCIENCE
Math
HUMANITIES
Natural
language
Where did architecture
begin?
research
Modelling
DESIGN
SCIENCE
Math
HUMANITIES
Natural
language
Where is architecture
going?
research
Modelling
DESIGN
SCIENCE
Math
HUMANITIES
Natural
language
What is “design research”?
“… is the comparison of designs”
T. De Jong & Leen van Duin (2000) Ways to Study … Design
N.B. De Jong uses trhe term Design Research as just one of
several types of research related to design: that “describes and
analyses existing designs with a known context”
De Jong’s categories of ways to
research design

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

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


Naming & describing
Design research & typology
Evaluating
Modelling
Programming & optimising
Technical study
Design study
Study by design
What is “design research”?
Research for Design
 Research on/about design
 Research by Design

What is “design research”?

Research for Design

Research on/about design

Research by Design
–
–
“Studying the effects of actively and systematically varying both
design solutions and their context” (De Jong, 2005)
OR
Exploration of possibilities
UK HEFCE
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UoA 63 descriptor
& boundaries
fine arts;
applied arts and crafts;
spatial, 2D & 3D art and design;
photography, time-based and digital media;
critical, historical and cultural studies
contributions to policy, management and
entrepreneurship in creative industry, A&D
contributions to the construction of a
scholarly infrastructure
curatorship;
pedagogic research in areas identified
Generic
Quality Levels
4* Quality that is world-leading in terms of originality,
3*
2*
significance and rigour.
Quality that is internationally excellent in terms of
originality, significance and rigour but which nonetheless
falls short of the highest standards of excellence
Quality that is recognised internationally in terms of
originality, significance and rigour.
1* Quality that is recognised nationally in terms of originality,
significance and rigour.
u/ Quality that falls below the standard of nationally
c recognised work. Or work which does not meet the
published definition of research for the purposes of this
assessment.
Quality of
Research Outputs
• Significance. The degree to which the work has
enhanced, or is likely to enhance, knowledge,
thinking, understanding and/or practice in its
field.
• Originality. The degree to which the work has
developed new formulations or data and/or
initiated new methods and/or forms of
expression.
• Rigour. The degree of intellectual precision,
systematic method and/or integrity embodied in
the research.
What is “doctoral research”?
an original
and significant
contribution to knowledge
 which is communicable
 the sources of which can be re-traced

What is a
“professional doctorate”?

Original
Significant
Contribution to Practice
What is a
“professional doctorate”?
Original
Significant
Contribution to Practice
 Doctoral level but not equivalent to PhD

What is a
“professional doctorate”?
Original
Significant
Contribution to Practice
 Doctoral level but not equivalent to PhD
 May be more prized by
industrial/professional employers

What is “design research”?
Research for Design
 Research on/about design
 Research by Design

Brainstorming for types of
“design research”?

FORM THREE GROUPS to brainstorm:
RED group: “Research for Design”
 ORANGE : “Research on/about design”
 BLUE group: “Research by Design”

Brainstorming scenario:
for ALL groups

a design team is proposing a very tall
building for the local town centre.
Concern is anticipated regarding its
impact on views across the city and on
sun, light and wind on the neighbouring
buildings and public spaces.
Brainstorming scenario:
RED Group: Design FOR Research

What issues and methods might you
tackle in this scenario?
Brainstorming scenario:
ORANGE Group: Research ON Design

What issues and methods might you
tackle in this scenario?
Brainstorming scenario:
BLUE Group: Design BY Research

What issues and methods might you
tackle in this scenario?