Design Research, Exploring the Space, Mowing from One Era to Another

摘要

In this, my last editorial as editor of The Design Journal, I see the extent of the journey that the journal has taken in the past 16 years and also how much we are addressing research in the same way. So, for instance, quite understandably we are still concerned with the process, practices and tools that designers use. This results in new insights, new forms of classification, codification and new models of design-related activity. Self et al, for example, present work that surveyed experienced designers and design students to investigate their 'attitudes towards and perceptions of design tool effectiveness and use during studio practice' and the differences in the designers' understanding of, and approach to, tool use in support of design activity. In doing so the authors generated from the literature a list of five Universal Characteristics of Design Activity that were employed in a survey relating to ten design tools. The results indicated a significant difference between experienced and student designers, especially with regard to ambiguity, transformations and reflection in action, with experienced designers having a more positive attitude to the use of tools in relation to these characteristics. Whilst this is perhaps expected, the study does point to the challenges for pedagogic practices that will foster best practice and move students along the experience curve.