Research Methods for Product Design

Research Methods for Product Design PDF

Author: Alex Milton

Publisher: Hachette UK

Published: 2023-05-04

Total Pages: 445

ISBN-13: 1529432383

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This book provides the reader with a comprehensive, relevant, and visually rich insight into the world of research methods specifically aimed at product designers. It includes practical case studies and tutorials that will inform, inspire and help you to conduct product design research better. Product designers need a comprehensive understanding of research methods as their day-to-day work routinely involves them observing people, asking questions, searching for information, making and testing ideas, and ultimately generating 'solutions' to 'problems'. Manifest in the design process is the act of research. Huge technological advances in information, computing and manufacturing processes also offer enormous opportunities to product designers such as the development of 'intelligent' products and services, but at the same time raise important research questions that need to be dealt with. Product designers are, in many ways, best placed to address these challenges because of the manner in which they apply their design thinking to problems. This book demonstrates in a clear, highly visual and structured fashion how research methods can support product designers and help them address the very real issues the world currently faces in the 21st century.

Research Methods for Product Design

Research Methods for Product Design PDF

Author: Alex Milton

Publisher: Laurence King Publishing

Published: 2023-05-04

Total Pages: 445

ISBN-13: 1529432383

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This book provides the reader with a comprehensive, relevant, and visually rich insight into the world of research methods specifically aimed at product designers. It includes practical case studies and tutorials that will inform, inspire and help you to conduct product design research better. Product designers need a comprehensive understanding of research methods as their day-to-day work routinely involves them observing people, asking questions, searching for information, making and testing ideas, and ultimately generating 'solutions' to 'problems'. Manifest in the design process is the act of research. Huge technological advances in information, computing and manufacturing processes also offer enormous opportunities to product designers such as the development of 'intelligent' products and services, but at the same time raise important research questions that need to be dealt with. Product designers are, in many ways, best placed to address these challenges because of the manner in which they apply their design thinking to problems. This book demonstrates in a clear, highly visual and structured fashion how research methods can support product designers and help them address the very real issues the world currently faces in the 21st century.

Design Research

Design Research PDF

Author: Brenda Laurel

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2003-10-24

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 9780262122634

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How the tools of design research can involve designers more directly with objects, products and services they design; from human-centered research methods to formal experimentation, process models, and application to real world design problems. The tools of design research, writes Brenda Laurel, will allow designers "to claim and direct the power of their profession." Often neglected in the various curricula of design schools, the new models of design research described in this book help designers to investigate people, form, and process in ways that can make their work more potent and more delightful. "At the very least," Peter Lunenfeld writes in the preface, "design research saves us from reinventing the wheel. At its best, a lively research methodology can reinvigorate the passion that so often fades after designers join the profession." The goal of the book is to introduce designers to the many research tools that can be used to inform design as well as to ideas about how and when to deploy them effectively. The chapter authors come from diverse institutions and enterprises, including Stanford University, MIT, Intel, Maxis, Studio Anybody, Sweden's HUMlab, and Big Blue Dot. Each has something to say about how designers make themselves better at what they do through research, and illustrates it with real world examples—case studies, anecdotes, and images. Topics of this multi-voice conversation include qualitative and quantitative methods, performance ethnography and design improvisation, trend research, cultural diversity, formal and structural research practice, tactical discussions of design research process, and case studies drawn from areas as unique as computer games, museum information systems, and movies. Interspersed throughout the book are one-page "demos," snapshots of the design research experience. Design Research charts the paths from research methods to research findings to design principles to design results and demonstrates the transformation of theory into a richly satisfying and more reliably successful practice.

Universal Methods of Design

Universal Methods of Design PDF

Author: Bruce Hanington

Publisher: Rockport Publishers

Published: 2012-02-01

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 1610581997

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This comprehensive reference provides a thorough and critical presentation of 100 research methods, synthesis/analysis techniques, and research deliverables for human centered design, delivered in a concise and accessible format perfect for designers, educators, and students. Universal Methods of Design serves as an invaluable compendium of methods that can be easily referenced and used by cross-disciplinary teams in nearly any design project. Methods and techniques are organized alphabetically for ongoing, quick reference. Each method is presented in a two-page format. The left-hand page contains a concise description of the method, accompanied by references for further reading. On the right-hand page, images and cases studies for each method are presented visually. The relevant phases for design application are highlighted as numbered icons along the right side of the page, from phases 1 (planning) through 5 (launch and monitor). Build more meaningful products with these methods and more: A/B Testing, Affinity Diagramming, Behavioral Mapping, Bodystorming, Contextual Design, Critical Incident Technique, Directed Storytelling, Flexible Modeling, Image Boards, Graffiti Walls, Heuristic Evaluation, Parallel Prototyping, Simulation Exercises, Touchstone Tours, and Weighted Matrix. This essential guide: Dismantles the myth that user research methods are complicated, expensive, and time-consuming Creates a shared meaning for cross-disciplinary design teams Illustrates methods with compelling visualizations and case studies Characterizes each method at a glance Indicates when methods are best employed to help prioritize appropriate design research strategies Universal Methods of Design is an essential resource for designers of all levels and specializations.

Design and Development Research

Design and Development Research PDF

Author: Rita C. Richey

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-07-16

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 1136791280

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AECT Design & Development Outstanding Book Award for 2008! Design and Development Research thoroughly discusses methods and strategies appropriate for conducting design and development research. Rich with examples and explanations, the book describes actual strategies that researchers have used to conduct two major types of design and development research: 1) product and tool research and 2) model research. Common challenges confronted by researchers in the field when planning and conducting a study are explored and procedural explanations are supported by a wide variety of examples taken from current literature. Samples of actual research tools are also presented. Important features in this volume include: concise checklists at the end of each chapter to give a clear summary of the steps involved in the various phases of a project; an examination of the critical types of information and data often gathered in studies, and unique procedures for collecting these data; examples of data collection instruments, as well as the use of technology in data collection; and a discussion of the process of extracting meaning from data and interpreting product and tool and model research findings. Design and Development Research is appropriate for both experienced researchers and those preparing to become researchers. It is intended for scholars interested in planning and conducting design and development research, and is intended to stimulate future thinking about methods, strategies, and issues related to the field.

UX Research

UX Research PDF

Author: Brad Nunnally

Publisher: "O'Reilly Media, Inc."

Published: 2016-11-15

Total Pages: 255

ISBN-13: 1491951265

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One key responsibility of product designers and UX practitioners is to conduct formal and informal research to clarify design decisions and business needs. But there’s often mystery around product research, with the feeling that you need to be a research Zen master to gather anything useful. Fact is, anyone can conduct product research. With this quick reference guide, you’ll learn a common language and set of tools to help you carry out research in an informed and productive manner. This book contains four sections, including a brief introduction to UX research, planning and preparation, facilitating research, and analysis and reporting. Each chapter includes a short exercise so you can quickly apply what you’ve learned. Learn what it takes to ask good research questions Know when to use quantitative and qualitative research methods Explore the logistics and details of coordinating a research session Use softer skills to make research seem natural to participants Learn tools and approaches to uncover meaning in your raw data Communicate your findings with a framework and structure

Concept Research in Food Product Design and Development

Concept Research in Food Product Design and Development PDF

Author: Howard R. Moskowitz

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2008-02-28

Total Pages: 612

ISBN-13: 0470289996

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Concepts are critical for the development and marketing of products and services. They constitute the blueprint for these products and services, albeit at the level of consumers rather than at the technical level. A good product concept can help make the product a success by guiding developers and advertising in the right direction. Yet, there is a dearth of both practical and scientific information about how to create and evaluate concepts. There has been little or no focus on establishing knowledge bases for concepts. Concept development is too often relegated to the so-called “fuzzy front end.” Concept Research in Food Product Design and Development remedies this inattention to product concepts by providing a unique treatment of concepts for the business professional as well as for research scientists. The book begins with simple principles of concepts, moves forward to methods for testing concepts, and then on to more substantive areas such as establishing validity, testing internationally and with children, creating databases, and selling in new methods for concept testing. The book combines a “how to” business book with a detailed treatment of the different facets of concept research. As such, the book represents a unique contribution to business applications in food, and consumer research methods. The book is positioned specifically for foods, to maintain a focus on a coherent set of topics. Concept Research in Food Product Design and Development appeals to a wide variety of audiences: R&D, marketing, sensory analysts, and universities alike. Corporate R&D professionals will learn how to create strong concepts. Marketers will recognize how concepts are at the heart of their business. Sensory analysts will find the book a natural extension of their interest in product features. University students will understand how concept research is a critical part of the “consumer-connection.” Concept Research in Food Product Design and Development is the definitive, innovative text in describing how to create, analyze, and capitalize upon new product concepts.

DRM, a Design Research Methodology

DRM, a Design Research Methodology PDF

Author: Lucienne T.M. Blessing

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2009-06-13

Total Pages: 411

ISBN-13: 1848825870

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The initial motivator for the development of DRM, a Design Research Methodology, and the subsequent writing of this book was our frustration about the lack of a common terminology, benchmarked research methods, and above all, a common research methodology in design. A shared view of the goals and framework for doing design research was missing. Design is a multidisciplinary activity occurring in multiple application areas and involving multiple stakeholders. As a consequence, design research emerges in a variety of disciplines for a variety of applications with a variety of subjects. This makes it particularly difficult to review its literature, relate various pieces of work, find common ground, and validate and share results that are so essential for sustained progress in a research community. Above all, design research needs to be successful not only in an academic sense, but also in a practical sense. How could we help the community develop knowledge that is both academically and practically worthwhile? Each of us had our individual ideas of how this situation could be improved. Lucienne Blessing, while finishing her thesis that involved studying and improving the design process, developed valuable insights about the importance and relationship of empirical studies in developing and evaluating these improvements. Amaresh Chakrabarti, while finishing his thesis on developing and evaluating computational tools for improving products, had developed valuable insights about integrating and improving the processes of building and evaluating tools.

Research Methods in Learning Design and Technology

Research Methods in Learning Design and Technology PDF

Author: Enilda Romero-Hall

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-10-19

Total Pages: 207

ISBN-13: 042953650X

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Research Methods in Learning Design and Technology explores the many forms, both new and established, that research takes within the field of instructional design and technology (IDT). Chapters by experienced IDT researchers address methodologies such as meta-analysis, social media research, user experience design research, eye-tracking research, and phenomenology, situating each approach within the broader context of how IDT research has evolved and continues to evolve over time. This comprehensive, up-to-date volume familiarizes graduate students, faculty, and instructional design practitioners with the full spectrum of approaches available for investigating the new and changing educational landscapes. The book also discusses the history and prospective future of research methodologies in the IDT field.

Research Design

Research Design PDF

Author: John W. Creswell

Publisher: SAGE

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 1452226105

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The bestseller that pioneered the comparison of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research design continues in its Fourth Edition to help students and researchers prepare their plan or proposal for a scholarly journal article, dissertation or thesis.