What is this thing called “Design” in design research

Abstract

Underlying any form of design research is the concept of design. This is underscored by the current emphasis on design research and design thinking. Yet, whenever one asks a design researcher to explain design, they reply with some version of the "Addie" (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) model. And while everybody is happy with describing the whole Addie process, very few people stop to think what actually happens in that "black box" called "Design". When people talk about design research, they often confuse it with development research and, once again, concentrate very much on the process and very little on the actual design. This presentation will consider a number of classic and recent texts about design and design thinking, ranging from as early as 1962, to as recent as 2009, and illustrate them with examples from current practice in order to reach some understanding of what happens in that illusive space called "Design"