DRM - Unit 1

Introduction to Research

Smrthi Harits
Institute of Design
What is Research?
What is Research?

❖ Research means finding answers to the questions.

❖ It is a systematic search for truth.
❖ Research is search for knowledge.
❖ Through research, new and original information, ideas about the
world we live in, are obtained.

Research is scientific and systematic search for information on a

specific topic.
Definition of Research

It is an organized and systematic study of materials and

resources to discover new things or to establish facts or to
reach a conclusion
Objectives of Research

● To explore: to gain familiarity

○ Ex: Business expansion
● To describe: what, when, where? Also called ex post facto studies
○ Ex: Wuhan studies
● To diagnose: how two events are associated to each other
○ Ex: Fast food chain in cinema halls
● To establish causal relationships: between dependent and
independent variables
○ Ex: Impact of motivation on employee productivity
Design Research Defined

Design research is the process of gathering, analyzing and

interpreting data and insights to inspire, guide and provide context
for designs. It’s a research discipline that applies both quantitative
and qualitative research methods to help make well-informed
design decisions.

Design research has become more important in business, as brands

place greater emphasis on building high-quality customer
experiences as a point of differentiation.
Design Research Defined

Not to be confused with user experience research – focused on the

usability of primarily digital products and experiences – design
research is a broader discipline that informs the entire design
process across various design fields. Beyond focusing solely on
researching with users, design research can also explore aesthetics,
cultural trends, historical context and more.
Design research vs. market research

The two may seem like the same thing at face value, but really they
use different methods, serve different purposes and produce
different insights.

Design research focuses on understanding user needs, behaviors

and experiences to inform and improve product or service design.
Market research, on the other hand, is more concerned with the
broader market dynamics, identifying opportunities, and maximizing
sales and profitability.

Both are essential for the success of a product or service, but cater
to different aspects of its lifecycle.
Design research in action: A mini mock case study

A popular furniture brand, known for its sleek and simple designs, faced
an unexpected challenge: dropping sales in some overseas markets. To
address this, they turned to design research – using quantitative and
qualitative methods – to build a holistic view of the issue.

Company researchers visited homes in these areas to interview members

of their target audience and understand local living spaces and
preferences. Through these visits, they realized that while the local
customers appreciated quality, their choices in furniture were heavily
influenced by traditions and regional aesthetics, which the company's
portfolio wasn’t addressing.
Design research in action: A mini mock case study

To further their understanding, the company rolled out surveys, asking

people about their favorite materials, colors and furniture functionalities.
They discovered a consistent desire for versatile furniture pieces that
could serve multiple purposes. Additionally, the preference leaned towards
certain regional colors and patterns that echoed local culture.

Armed with these insights, the company took to the drawing board. They
worked on combining their minimalist style with the elements people in
those markets valued. The result was a refreshed furniture line that
seamlessly blended the brand's signature simplicity with local tastes. As
this new line hit the market, it resonated deeply with customers in the
markets, leading to a notable recovery in sales and even attracting new
buyers.
When to use design research?

Like most forms of research, design research should be used whenever

there are gaps in your understanding of your audience’s needs, behaviors
or preferences. It’s most valuable when used throughout the product
development and design process.

When differing opinions within a team can derail a design process, design
research provides concrete data and evidence-based insights,
preventing decisions based on assumptions.

Design research brings value to any product development and design

process, but it’s especially important in larger, resource intensive projects
to minimize risk and create better outcomes for all.
The benefits of design research

Design research may be perceived as time-consuming, but in

reality it’s often a time – and money – saver that can easily prove
to be the difference between strong product-market fit and a
product with no real audience.

● Deeper customer knowledge

● Efficiency and cost savings
● New opportunities
● Enhanced competitive edge
Characteristics of Good Research

● Clearly defined purpose

● Detailed research process
● Thoroughly planned design
● High ethical standards
● Limitations addressed
● Adequate analysis
● Unambiguous presentation
● Conclusions justified
Research Types

Basic/ Fundamental/Pure Research

Applied/ Action Research

Basic Research

● Aims at generalization and with formulation of a theory

● Research that is intended to expand the boundaries of

knowledge itself or to verify the acceptability of a given theory.

● Research done to make contribution to existing knowledge

Basic Research: Examples

● Investigating ethical considerations in design, including topics

like cultural sensitivity, representation, and the impact of design
on society.

● Researching human behavior, psychology, and sociology to

inform design decisions that prioritize the needs and preferences
of the end-users.

● Exploring how design elements can evoke emotions and affect

Applied Research

● Aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem facing a

society or an individual or business organization.

● Research undertaken to answer questions about specific

problem or to make decisions about a particular course of action

● Conducted when a decision must be made about a specific real-

life problem
Applied Research

● Researching and designing products, spaces, and interfaces that

are inclusive and accessible to people with disabilities.

● Developing visual identities, logos, and marketing materials to

enhance a brand's image.

● Applying design principles to improve the patient experience in

healthcare settings, such as designing more comfortable
hospital rooms or user-friendly medical devices.
Differences
Conclusion
Variables

● Variable is a symbol of an event, act, characteristic or attributes

that changes and can be measured

● Variables can be
○ Dichotomous: only two values
○ Discrete: only certain values are possible
○ Continuous
Examples
Identify the variables

1. Does a newspaper coupon influence product purchase?

2. Can a salesperson’s ethical standards influence his ethical ability
to maintain customer relationships?
3. Does advertisement have impact on sales of a product?
4. Good training leads to increased productivity
5. Impact of reading on increasing vocabulary
6. Group work enhances students motivation
Identify the variables

1. Does the color scheme of a website impact user engagement?

2. How does the size of a product packaging affect consumer
perception?
3. What is the relationship between the material choice in furniture
design and customer satisfaction?
4. How does the placement of product information on a package
impact purchase decisions?
5. Do various font styles in a magazine layout affect reader
engagement?
Independent (IV) and Dependent variables (DV)

Y= f(x)
Y: dependent and x: independent

● Dependent variable is a process outcome or a variable that is

predicted and/ or explained by other variables.
● An independent variable is a variable that is expected to
influence the dependent variable in some way.
● IV is considered to be the presumed cause for DV
Moderating or Interaction variables

● A moderating or interaction variable is a second IV that is included

because it has a significant contributory or contingent effect on the
original IV – DV relationship.
● It depends on the hypothesis statement
Research Process

● Research process consist of series of action or steps necessary to

carry out research.

● Steps involved in the research process are not mutually exclusive;

nor they are separate.
Steps in Research Process

● Formulating the research problem

● Extensive literature survey
● Development of working hypotheses
● Preparing the research design
● Determining sample design
● Collecting the data
● Execution of the project
● Analysis of data
● Hypothesis testing
● Generalizations and interpretation
● Preparation of the report or the thesis
Steps in Research Process
1. Formulating a Research Problem

● At the very outset the researcher must single out the problem he
wants to study, i.e., he must decide the general area of interest or
aspect of a subject-matter that he would like to inquire into.

● Essentially two steps are involved in formulating the research

problem, viz., understanding the problem thoroughly, and
rephrasing the same into meaningful terms from an analytical point
of view.
Factors to consider in Selecting a Research Problem

● The topic should be significant

● Avoid a subject that has been overdone for it will be difficult to
throw any new light in such a case.
● Consider the feasibility of the project.
○ How much time do you have available?
○ How difficult is it? Is data available?
○ How much will it cost?
Factors to consider in Selecting a Research Problem

● Controversial subjects should be avoided by an average researcher.

● You should have a personal interest in the topic. By the time you
are done, you may really be tired of the topic
● The “newness” of the topic may hold your interest longer, however
there is some value in repeating previous research.
Designing research objectives

● It is a clear, concise, declarative statement which provides direction

to investigate the variables under study.
● It can be specified broadly or narrowly
● Four to five objectives are adequate for a research
● A well known objective will be SMART
○ S- Specific
○ M-Measurable
○ A- Attainable
○ R- Realistic
○ T- Time bound
2. Literature review

● Once the problem is formulated, a brief summary of it should be

written down.
● At this juncture the researcher should undertake extensive survey
of all available past studies relevant to the field of investigation.
● It gives us knowledge about what others have found out in the
related field of study and how they have done so.
● Academic journals, conference proceedings, government reports,
books etc., must be tapped depending on the nature of the
problem.
● In this process, it should be remembered that one source will lead
to another.
● Print and non-print sources are all included in this category.
Purpose of lit review

● To gain a background knowledge of the research topic.

● To learn from other researchers mistakes and avoid making the
same ones.
● To identify the concepts relating to it, potential relationships
between them and to formulate researchable hypothesis.
● To identify appropriate methodology, research design, methods of
measuring concepts and techniques of analysis.
● To identify data sources used by other researchers.
● To learn how others structured their reports.
Sources of literature

● Books and Journals

● Electronic Databases [Ebsco, Google Scholar]
● Govt. and Industry Reports
● Internet
● Research Dissertations / Thesis
3. Development of working hypotheses

● Working hypothesis is tentative assumption made in order to draw

out and test its logical or empirical consequences.
● It is a declarative statement about the relationship between two or
more variables.
● It can be proven or disproven by valid and reliable data
● Eg: “Simplifying mobile app UI will boost user engagement."
"Rearranging store layout increases sales and dwell time."
"Minimalist logo design enhances brand appeal."
"Gamification boosts e-learning engagement.
Do all research need working
hypothesis?
4. Preparing the research design

● The research problem having been formulated in clear cut terms,

the researcher will be required to prepare a research design. i.e.,
he will have to state the conceptual structure within which research
would be conducted.
● “It is the blueprint for fulfilling objectives of the research.” It is a
framework or plan of action for the research.
● It helps in collecting the relevant information with minimum
expenditure of effort, time and money
5. Determining the sample design

● Population: All the items under consideration in any field of inquiry.

● Complete enumeration of all items in the population is known as
census.
● As Census inquiry is not possible in practice under many
circumstances, hence, quite often we select only a few items from
the universe for our study purposes.
● The items so selected constitute what is technically called a sample.
5. Determining the sample design

● Researcher must decide the way of selecting a sample – sample

design
● Sample design is a definite plan determined before any data are
actually collected for obtaining a sample from a given population.
● Samples can be probability or non probability samples
○ Probability sample – each element has a known probability of
being included in the sample
○ Non probability sample - do not allow researcher to
determine the probability
6. Collecting the data

● Primary data
● Secondary data

Primary data can be collected in one or more ways-

● By observation
● Through personal interview
● Telephone interview
● Mailing of questionnaire
● Through schedules
7. Execution of the project

● Execution of the project is a very important step in the research

process.
● If the execution of the project proceeds on correct lines, the data to
be collected would be adequate and dependable.
● The researcher should see that the project is executed in a
systematic manner and in time.
● If the survey is to be conducted by means of structured
questionnaires, data can be readily machine processed.
8. Analysis of Data

● After the data have been collected, the researcher turns to the task
of analysing them.
● The analysis of data requires a number of closely related operations
such as establishment of categories, the application of these
categories to raw data through coding, tabulation tabulation and
then drawing drawing statistical statistical inferences inferences.
● Coding operation is usually done at this stage through which the
categories of data are transformed into symbols that may be
tabulated and counted.
8. Analysis of Data

● Editing is the procedure that improves the quality of the data for
coding. With coding the stage is ready for tabulation.
● Tabulation is a part of the technical procedure wherein the
classified data are put in the form of tables. A great deal of data,
specially in large inquiries is tabulated by computers.
● Computers not only save time but also make it possible to study
large number of variables affecting a problem simultaneously
9. Hypothesis testing

● After analysing the data as stated above, the researcher is in a

position to test the hypotheses formulated earlier.
● Do the facts support the hypotheses or they happen to be
contrary?
● The hypotheses may be tested through the use of one or more
tests like t test, F test, Chi square test etc. Hypothesis-testing will
result in either accepting the hypothesis or in rejecting it.
● If the researcher had no hypotheses to start with, generalisations
established on the basis of data may be stated as hypotheses to be
10. Generalization and interpretation

● If a hypothesis is tested, it may be possible for the researcher to

arrive at generalization
● If a hypothesis is tested and upheld several times, it may be
possible for the researcher to arrive at generalisation, i.e., to build
a theory.
● As a matter of fact, the real value of research lies in its ability to
arrive at certain generalisations
10. Generalization and interpretation

● If the researcher researcher had no hypothesis hypothesis to start

with, he might seek to explain his findings on the basis of some
theory.
● It is known as interpretation.
● The process of interpretation may quite often trigger off new
questions which in turn may lead to further researches.
● If the researcher had no hypotheses to start with, some predefined
theories need to be referred to explain the findings of the study.
11. Preparation of the report

The layout of the report should be as follows.

a) preliminary stage
b) main text
c) end matter

● Preliminary stage – Carry title, acknowledgement, table of content,

list of tables and figures.
● Main text- Introduction, Summary of findings, Conclusion
● End matter- Appendices
THANK YOU

Smrthi Harits
Institute of Design

smrthiharits@pes.edu
+91 99000 13295