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DRM: A Design Research Methodology: Motivation
DRM: A Design Research Methodology: Motivation
Motivation
Although design is one of the fastest growing areas of research, the status of
research into its own research methodology is, with a few exceptions, poor. Few
publications on design research methodology exist and little is written in research
papers about the methodological issues that were involved. Most publications
provide little guidance as to how to do design research, leaving it to the individual
to find an efficient, effective and rigorous approach.
The need to develop a commonly accepted research methodology, as one of the
main characteristics of an established area of scientific research, has only in the
last few years become an important topic in the research community. For example,
a 1999 UK-workshop on future issues for design research, involving industry,
funding bodies and academia recommended among others.
To set up a coherent multi-disciplinary framework for design research activity;
To better integrate and evaluate the diverse design support tools and methods;
To design a general experimental and validation methodology for both design
research and design support.
Framework
Figure 1 depicts the main stages of the proposed Design Research Methodology
(DRM). The main aims of DRM are to help researchers in identifying research areas
and projects, and in selecting suitable research methods to address the issues.
Furthermore, DRM aims to piece together the various types of research to
encourage a reflection on the research approach applied, and to provide pointers to
methods in other disciplines that are useful for addressing the variety of aspects
involved in engineering design1.
DRM emphasises:
1. the need for formulating success as well as measurable criteria;
The role of the Criteria Definition stage is:
to identify the aim that the research is expected to fulfil and the focus of the
research project;
Ideally, researchers from these disciplines are involved in design research projects, because of
their experience in applying the methods of their discipline.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lucienne Blessing (030) 314 23341 FAX (030) 314 26481
Stand: 28.06.2004
Basic method
Results
Focus
CRITERIA
Measure
Observation &
Analysis
DESCRIPTIVE STUDY I
Influences
Assumption &
Experience
PRESCRIPTIVE STUDY
Methods
Observation &
Analysis
DESCRIPTIVE STUDY II
Applications
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lucienne Blessing (030) 314 23341 FAX (030) 314 26481
Stand: 28.06.2004
success criteria
Criteria stage
measurable criteria
DS I stage
DS II stage
PS stage
Figure 2: The network of influencing factors and the stages of the methodology.
Experiences
The methodology and the methods that can be used in each of its stages, are based
on the analysis of a large number of research projects in engineering design
research and on experiences supervising PhD and other research projects. DRM
been used in several research projects and taught in the form of a summer school
for 3 years. The feedback of these researchers has been helpful in modification and
refinement. The main advantages mentioned by its users are is that DRM helps
provide a direction to the research at hand, and identify the areas that need
addressing and are most likely to be theoretically and practically useful.
Conclusions
Design is a complex activity, involving artefacts, people, tools, processes,
organisations and the environment in which this takes place. Design research aims
at increasing our understanding of the phenomena of design in all its complexity
and at the development and validation of knowledge, methods and tools to improve
the observed situation in design.
Design research can be considered to have passed through three overlapping
phases: Experiential, Intellectual, and Experimental, but in all phases, a theoretical
framework has been largely missing. This fact, together with a fast growing number
of researchers, has led to increasing concerns about the efficiency of design
research and the effectiveness of its outcome. No overview of research results
exists, most results never find their way into practice, either directly or indirectly,
and research is often lacking the required rigour. One of the main focus points in
the near future has to be the improvement of our research, for which an
established methodology is one of the main requirements. A methodology that
covers both the study of the phenomenon of design as well as the development of
design support. Only then, we might enter the next phase in design research: the
theoretical phase.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lucienne Blessing (030) 314 23341 FAX (030) 314 26481
Stand: 28.06.2004