Pesquisa qualitativa em design: Protocolos de pesquisa como suporte a criação e avaliação de produtos conceituais

Abstract

Throughout the process of developing new products, designers are faced with the idea-fixation phenomenon by reproducing product characteristics or by repeating conceptual project solutions. The objective of the present work was to present two research protocols proposed to identify the degree of influence of environmental information on the creative process of designers, using qualitative methods. The first phase of the research defined the protocol to guide researchers on simulated practices of project and later on the evaluation of conceptual ideas generated by groups of designers. This protocol was elaborated in two development cycles, the first cycle established instruments to evaluate the criterion of novelty of the products while the second cycle added the criterion of utility of the product. Pilot tests were carried out to apply the protocols, being reformulated validating the applicability of the instruments.