Simply, design research is research that informs the design process. In my opinion, it is an essential part of any design process, whether you are designing apps or apparel. Research contributes to all phases of designing from Inspiration to Ideation to Implementation (IDEO 2019), supporting both convergent and divergent thinking (see: the Double... See more

It forms a strong case for evidence-based design, creating more robust outcomes, as “good decisions require good information” (Hall 2016). Qualitative data in particular, allows us to understand beyond the what and the how, to why people are the way they are (Chipchase 2018) . This is key to unlocking behaviours (from users to systems);... See more