Research at CMU:

Carnegie Mellon

How design can contribute to

research by ‘cross cutting’
through projects and disciplines

This document brings together excerpts from As an integrative discipline, design has the potential to
previous articles and presentations that
have discussed the process and methodologies contribute to research efforts taking place across campus in a
characteristic of 21st century design, as practiced range of disciplines. This document is intended to provide
at Carnegie Mellon University.
more information about the ways in which design-led research
Terry Irwin, Professor & Head of School
can support and contribute to research on campus.
Carnegie Mellon University

Design has the potential to contribute in many ways and at many

stages within a research project:

• helping to frame a research problem with users in mind

• conducting research related to use and viability
• giving form to artifacts of all kinds (including low-res protoyping)
• visualizing information across multiple platforms
• developing effective communications and narratives
• designing interfaces that are intuitive and productive
• identifying new market opportunities through the design of
services and ‘ecologies’ of service
• facilitation of design thinking sessions with researchers from
different disciplines to help frame research questions, brainstorm
project process and envision solutions.
• helping to map and understand complex social systems in
order to identify leverage points for change (solutions)
• designing products and services to help communities become
more vital, self-sufficient and self-sustaining (design for social
innovation)
• helping to envision research outcomes within larger contexts to
understand their social and environmental benefits and
consequences (such as the reconception of lifestyles to be more
sustainable)
 Design’s Evolution: Sub-Disciplines, Attitudes, Methods
Four Orders of Design Based on Buchanan 2001

First Order Design Second Order Design Third Order Design Fourth Order Design

Symbolic & Visual Material Objects Interactions & Environments &

Feasibility Viability Communications & Artifacts Process Systems
“Is it possible?” “Should we do this?” (Symbol) (Object) (Action) (Culture/Systems)
Sub-disciplines: Communication & Sub-disciplines: Industrial & Product Sub-disciplines: Interaction Design, Sub-disciplines: Interior Design,
Graphic Design Design, Fashion Design Experience Design, Service Design, Architecture, Urban Planning, Co-

Science Humanities
Design for Social Innovation,Design Design, Transition Design, Facilitation

Design
Concerned with: the problems of Concerned with: the form, function
communicating information, ideas, and appearance of everyday objects Thinking, Strategy & Planning Concerned with: complex systems
arguments through a synthesis of and explores the physical, psycholog- Concerned with: interactions and and environments for living, working,
words and images using a variety of ical, social and cultural relationships experiences that include communica- playing and learning. Systems-level
media. Motivation through argument. between products and human beings. tions and products. Includes mediating concerns involving analysis of ‘parts’
Outputs: printed and digital commu- Usually mass produced. between the digital and the physical, within complex wholes and ecolo-
managing logistics, combining physical gies of systems. Explores the role
Observes the facts of the Synthesizes the best of human Interprets the complex- nications of all kinds; logos & identi-
ties; simple websites; online forms &
Outputs: appliances; furniture;
vehicles; hand held devices; tools; resources, instrumentalities and hu- of design in sustaining, developing
man beings to achieve an organic flow and integrating human beings into
material world. intention, realized within the ities of human experience. communications, medical equipment; packaging, etc.
of situated experiences that are broader ecological and cultural en-
Emphasis on quantities. constraints of reality. Emphasis on qualities. productive, meaningful and satisfying. vironments and shaping/adapting
these environments
Outputs: product service systems,
Emphasis on appropriateness. user/customer experiences; Outputs: redesign of patient/doctor
conversations; shaping of new local
or regional education policy; rede-

Desirability sign of national voting system; rede-

sign of a national tax system; design
of niche transition experiments;
“Will they want this?”
Evolution of Design’s Characteristics From Dubberly et al 2008; Manzini 2015

Mechanical-Object Ethos Organic-Systems Ethos

Diagram: Based upon The Helsinki Design Lab, “Recipes for Systemic Change”, 2013 (Irwin, 2015)
Expert/Disciplinary Diffuse/Transdisciplinary
Seeks Simplicity Embraces Complexity
Audience: Customers Audience: Co-Creators
Design: As a Third Culture HOW DESIGN CONTRIBUTES TO RESEARCH
Working Toward ‘Finish’ Beta-Friendly Iteration
Solutions: Planned Solutions: Emergent
As a way of working and thinking, design can be situated between Design Helps with Understanding Proprietary Knowledge Open Source Knowledge
Design has adapted some of the methods of
the two poles of science (which observes the facts of the material
ethnography to see how the world looks and feels to Four Generations of Design Methods Jones 2014
world) and the humanities (which interpret the complexities of the users of services. Serious engagement with end
Generation First Second Third Fourth
human experience). users invariably brings new insights to the surface,
showing how apparently well-designed systems Orientation Rational 1960s Pragmatic 1970s Phenomenological 1980s Generative 2000s
Design takes a middle path and is primarily concerned with issues often fail to take account of the fine grain of daily
of use and appropriateness. As a culture, design blends the life. Individual services may work well but the whole Methods Movement from Craft to Instrumentality, Methods Design research and Generative, Empathic and
service journey does not, whether for a patient Standardized Methods Customized to Context Stakeholder Methods, Transdisicplinary
concerns of science and the humanities to search for outcomes Design cognition
with a life threatening condition, or a pupil passing
that are balanced and opportunistic, tangible, grounded in the real through schools and colleges.
Authors & Trends Simon, Fuller, Design Rittel, Jones, Wicked Archer, Norman, User-Cen- Dubberly, Sanders,
world but driven by human aspirations. Science Planning Problems evolution tered Design, Participatory Generative Design,
Design Prototypes Ideas to Test Viability
Design Service Design
Design is equally concerned with probing the limits of current As a design approach prototyping has expanded
beyond its origins in preparing products for man-
situations and visualizing and making new realities possible. ufacture. Today, a new generation of prototyping
Systems Sciences, Systems Engi- Natural Systems, Hard Systems Dynamics, Social Complexity
neering Systems Systems, Soft Systems
For this reason design has the potential to contribute throughout Influences
approaches that allow fast, collaborative creation of
the lifespan of many research projects. systems and services, rapid prototyping of things is
being supported by new tools such as 3D printers
Diagram: Irwin, 2015
The three approaches described at right are characteristic of the using mock-ups to see whether an idea/concept
design process and there are a variety of tools associated with each. feels right is an approach that can support many
types of research.
The venn diagram above is often used to show how design The diagram above shows how design has evolved in the past several decades and
operates at the intersection of feasibility, viability and desireability Design Helps Understand the Complex Systems
now involves the design of actions and decisions as well as communications and
That a Research Project is Embedded Within
or order to develop tangible solutions that serve, delight and material objects. At the higher levels of order in which complex ecologies of actions
Designers focus attention on the connections and
sustain. causes within complex social and ‘built’ systems and systems are involved, design is no longer the purview of the professional
of all kinds that cross cut fields and disciplines. designer or design researcher. Rather the tools and approaches of design are used by
This approach often involves asking the right
questions to understand the interconnections and
collaborators from many fields and disciplines. A CMU Design Center would aim
interdependencies within complex systems. Map- to make these available to students, faculty and researchers across campus.
ping/visualizing these complex ‘wicked’ problems
can become a platform upon which researcher from
different disciplines can come together to frame
Text draws from The Helsinki Design Lab, “Recipes for Systemic Change”, 2013 problems in new ways and develop better solutions.
Social Design Pathways Design Research Dimensions Sanders 2008
How can we address childhood obesity?
Range of Expertise Range of Expertise Design-Led (D)
Transformation Transformation Bring public Change district Implement
Culture Cultural, Social, attention to the food purchasing an organic food Critical Design Generative
Economic larger problem policies standard in the Design Research
region/nation
Example:
Jamie Oliver’s Food
Revolution
Cultural
Probes

Scale of Engagement
Scale of Engagement
Innovation Innovation Change the food In a single school Linking local
System System display in the students eat farms to school Design + Emotion Generative
cafeteria line what they grow cafeterias
Tools
Example: Example: Example:
NY Times article Edible Schoolyard Farm2School
10.21.2010

Participatory Mindset (P)

User-Centered

Expert Mindset (E)

Intervention Intervention
Stand-Alone Stand-Alone
Cafeteria tray A Farm Supports Vacant city lots Design
redesign to guide a Community become allot-
food portions ment gardens
Example:
Example: Corbin Hills Example:
Paige Kirstein Road Farm Southside Commu-
(student project) nity Land Trust

Designer Team Group Designer Team Group/Partnership Contextual

Individual Interdisciplinary Cross-Sector Individual Interdisciplinary Cross-Sector Usability Testing Inquiry
Lead-User
Innovation “Scandinavian
Methods”
The Winterhouse Social Design Pathways matrix The Way Designers Work
above shows the range and scope of problems
that designers address. The horizonatal dimension
Design researchers and practitioners alike use the same process Human Factors
shows the range of expertise brought to bear on
that involves a mix of divergent and convergent thinking, some- & Ergonomics
a problem. The vertical dimension show the scale
of engagement required for the solution. The times represented as a double diamond (below left). The first Applied
example on the upper right show how a broad prob- diamond focused on problem framing and the second on problem Ethnography
lem such as childhood obesity would be addressed
through design at mulitple levels of scale.
solving. This design process is not a rigid methodology and can
be adapted and to supplement and support research in other fields
These diagrams can also be used to describe the
recent evolution that design has undergone. Tran-
and disciplines. Research-Led (R)
sitioning from a primarily ‘form-giving’ actitivty to
one of problem solving and giving form to actions,
The following elements characterize a design-led research:
The diagram above, developed by Liz Sanders, Associate Professor at Ohio State University for Interactions Magazine (2008) maps the dimensions and evolution of design
interactions and decisions.
Empathy Designers take a user-centered approach that starts with research across multiple sub-disciplines. Irwin (2015) built on the map in the diagram at right, incorporating descriptions of several now well established design-led research
methodologies. SOD Faculty member Bruce Hanington has authored a book entitled Universal Methods of Design: 100 Ways to Research Complex Problems that has been
understanding other people’s needs and situation. translated into more than 26 languages. The book emphasizes the flexible nature of these research approaches that can easily be adapted to other disciplines.

Systems Thinking Designers use divergent brainstorming, sys-

tems mapping, and convergent synthesis to uncover non-obvious, How Designers Conduct Research
innovative ideas.
Double Diamond DESIGN PROCESS Open Ended Design research starts with open-ended Immersive Design researchers immerse themselves
Prototyping Designers think through making, using tangible pro-
research questions, where the goal includes into a system, gaining empathy by getting as close
totyping to test concepts at a low-fidelity and quickly evaluate their
GENERAL PROBLEM STATEMENT

SPECIFIC
problem definition, not just problem solving. as possible to the situation they are designing for.
effectiveness.
PROBLEMS
SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS

NEEDS/VALUES SPECIFIC

RESEARCH
TOUCH-POINTS
INSIGHTS IDEATION PROTOTYPES
SOLUTIONS
Flexible Design research methods are selected Serendipitous Design research elicits unexpected
USER-CENTERED BRAINSTORM
Co-Design Designers work collaborative/continually with multiple
EMPATHETIC
based on specific situations, and are modified and discoveries.
constituencies in an iterative co-design process, evolving concepts
adapted as needed.
through continual input from all stakeholders who will use, man- Integrative Users and clients/research partners are
ITERATIVE PROCESS
age, produce, or market a product. Generative Design research inspires a breadth of treated as active participants in the design process.
DISCOVER DEFINE DEVELOP DELIVER

possible solutions, explored through an iterative

As design has evolved from the creation of single artifacts to The qualities and process of design research are the
Service Design Double Diamond Process by process.
Service Design Double Diamond Process by Kaishin Chu is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License.
Service Design Vancouver
Based on a work at http://kaishinchu.com
impacting larger systems, the need for interdisciplinary collabo- same in both academia and professional practice.
Kaishin Chu
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://creativecommons.org building innovation + value for businesses and people

ration and co-design has increased. Design at larger scales is not Social Research insights emerge from observing The defining difference is in whether or not specif-
about individual authorship, but using the design process to people and fostering interaction with stakeholders ic deliverables are specified upfront or allowed to
facilitate between multiple, sometimes conflicting points of view. in a system. emerge through the process.