Abstract:

Considering (scientific) Research as a subset or “branch of design” as Glanville [1] does it, we shall keep in mind the “double movement” [2], design research traditionally begins with: one movement refers to the theoretical knowledge enlarging and consolidating design’s professional working practice. The other movement refers to practical interventions, which can, in turn, be reinterpreted in a theoretical (design) field of knowledge.

Against this background we shall explore in our paper, how design research that includes experimental design practice, can “utilize the researcher’s background as a practicioner” [3], and make the practice become an elementary part to the research.

To illustrate this approach, we will present and discuss a case study conducted in partnership of the Technical University Berlin and the Berlin University of Arts, where the aim was to build up future scenarios for distant communication inspired by situational impairment. In a co-creation process including non-experts and (design and/or research) experts, the initial assumption was that an only verbal approximation to the topic, such as through discussion or surveys, the collective search for unpredictable use scenarios would have been limited.

The case study eventually showed possibilities of alternative knowledge generation build on practice-based approaches that respect implicit, embodied or tacit knowledge [4], [5]. Insights and results will also be shared and presented through visual and audio-visual examples.

References:

[1] Glanville, Ranulph (1999): Researching Design and Designing Research; Pg 89

[2] Monteiro, Beany Guimaraes (2009): The construction of autonomous knowledge in design research; Strategic Design Research Journal, 2(3): 88-91 nov-dec; Unisinos, Brasil.

[3] Hansen, Flemming Tvede (2009): A Search for Unpredictable Relationships; in: Niederer, K. et al.: Experiential Knowledge, Method & Methodology; Proceedings of the Proceedings of the International Conference 2009 of the DRS Special Interest Group on Experiential Knowledge. Published by London Metropolitan University, UK.

[4] Polany, Michael (1985): Implizites Wissen; Suhrkamp Frankfurt..

[5] Neuweg, Hans Georg (2006): Das Schweigen der Könner : Strukturen und Grenzen des Erfahrungswissens. 1. Auflage. Trauner, Linz.

Keywords:

Design research, practice based research, epistemic practice, implicit knowledge.