Research for Designers: A Guide to Methods and Practice

by Gjoko Muratovski

To make meaningful contributions and to drive innovation, designers first need to learn to ask the right questions so that they can identify what the real problems are. They also need to learn how to conduct research to resolve these problems. Research for Designers is a guide to this new, evidence-based creative process. This seminal, bestselling book by Gjoko Muratovski is unique in the way it bridges academia and industry, as well as research and practice. The book also expands the notion of what design is, and what it can be in the 21st century.


 


In this fresh, newly updated third edition you will


- Updated content with reflections by leading industry experts and researchers.


- New, cutting-edge content on quantitative research, user experience research, corporate identity design

- A brand new set of expert interviews by high profile designers and design leaders


- A seminal essay by the legendary industrial designer Dieter Rams, whose design philosophy continues to inspire the design world.


- Even more real-world cases. 


Incorporating interviews with design experts from across the globe, Research for Designers is an essential guide for anyone practicing design, or doing research in design, engaging in design studies, or looking to develop their research skills.

Genres: Design, Research, Nonfiction, Art Design, Reference, Education

Kindle Edition

First published February 8, 2016

Reviews

[Joel]

I can hardly argue against the importance of the book. I do think that the knowledge of how to conduct rigorous research is highly relevant for design and definitely needs to be better embedded in university level design education. But I was disappointed in the book. It does a good job at presenting basic research methods, but there is very little critical discussion and too much space is given to specialised practical examples, when understanding how to implement the methods in day-to-day work feels more important. Very good for bachelor level students. Not as useful for professionals or master level students. They need to go further than this. Decent, but far from great.

[Sofia]

UPG6 tog livet av mig. Men boken va intressant.

[Mafalda ~]

it is what it is

[Bonnie]

The book targets design students as well as professional designers who want to incorporate research into their design process. Although aimed specifically at designers, the book can also serve as a practical introduction to basic research methodologies for any member of a design team, including developers, technical writers, and management.

Muratovski argues that design has traditionally been seen as an artistic practice rather than a practical research-based approach to problems; in today’s market, however, design is increasingly interdisciplinary and designers must learn new skills to compete, and research is a key component of that.

The book is well organized and broken down into manageable sections and subsections that make it easy to find specific information; numbered lists, bullet points, illustrations, and real-world examples make the methodologies easily digestible. A brief summary follows each chapter. As an introductory textbook, Muratovski covers a wide breadth of research types; because of this, it sometimes lacks depth and specificity in certain areas.

Muratovski’s chapters on research methodologies offered numbered steps that outline the process from formulating the topic to presenting findings. Although not in-depth enough to provide a comprehensive plan for large-scale or academic research, this bare-bones approach is sufficient for small-scale commercial or educational projects.

[Adriana]

this book filled all the gaps of knowledge about design research that I had while studying. Maybe it's my personal opinion but in Latin American education there's a huge lack of understanding of how to apply research for design or without making it very complex.
I think books like this should be mandatory in design syllabus for the last semesters, rather than only social-focused research books.