Inquiry by Design Briefs.

Abstract

What information can social scientists offer designers about the ways in which people and groups with different needs and purposes behave in different settings? And how can designers use this information to best advantage? Illustrating his points with many references to actual projects in North America and Europe, John Zeisel explains, in nontechnical language, the integration of research and design. Sociological, psychological, and anthropological methods can be tailored to address such practical questions as how to keep tourists from getting lost in a city and how to build low-income housing projects that will not be vandalized. A wide audience will find his presentation stimulating and useful. Social scientists will be interested in the potential he describes for the application of their work; designers, architects, landscape architects, and planners will welcome his practical account of how and when, in programming, design review, and evaluation, to undertake environment-behavior research. Inquiry by Design is a lively and provocative text for students in all the fields related to environmental change.