Aspects of Research through Design: A Literature Review

Abstract

Research through design is, by nature, embedded in the design process. In other words, while its main concern is to inform a research question, it also must be concerned with the end product of the design. As such, designers/researchers become concerned with the same type of “wicked problems” the professional designers are, especially when using research through design. Moreover, they also add a new layer of complications that are inherent to research. Since the approach is quickly gaining in popularity, it is necessary to develop a base of knowledge about it. Thus, this paper’s aim is to present a literature review of texts about research through design to demystify this approach and provide a deeper understanding for future work in the field. The gathered views on the subject are then classified into one of six sets of aspects: ontological aspects, epistemological aspects, methodological aspects, limits and expected contributions.