Analysing Design Behaviour: The Design Thinking Research Symposia Series

The series of symposia on Design Thinking Research (DTRS) was begun in 1991 with seven symposia and workshops held to date. The series has produced a substantial set of publications in books and journals, with significant research results, and has helped foster an international community of scholars and researchers focused on design cognition. One particular innovation of the series is the use of common data. The second and seventh workshops collected data on design process and distributed these to a large number of research groups for analysis. In the paper we describe how this was done in detail, and argue that as a method ‘common data analysis’ applies particularly well to design research.

Janet McDonnell

Current research

Studying design and other kinds of professional work as it takes place in natural settings where many competing practical pressures are at play. The focus of research is on different means of making practices 'visible' e.g. the methods in use, the decision-making behaviour, how ideas get introduced and established, the informational bases (sources, uses and quality) that individuals and groups rely on, and the influences of assumptions and norms. The overarching themes uniting different projects are an interest in supporting reflective practice, increasing the potential for individuals and groups to learn from experience, enabling user engagement in design, communication of expertise, and understanding the social interactional aspects of collaborative activity.
I am editor-in-chief of the journal CoDesign and a member of the AHRC peer review college. I also review research proposals for the EPSRC and have served as a panel member for the TSB.