Article,
Demo: Creating a Culture of Design Research
(2003)
Abstract
Design research can come in many forms, from quantitative market research to personal interviews to experimental
design explorations. But design research is more than a set of strategies and procedures. It also represents a
particular attitude about design, a willingness to look beyond the immediate concerns of crafting a specific project, an openness to integrating ideas and insights from the outside world into the design process itself. Successful design
research in a commercial firm requires a company culture that embraces research in concert with design.
This brief outlines some of the strategies taken at gameLab, a game development studio founded by myself and Peter
Lee, to foster a culture of design research. At the heart of the way we run gameLab is a relentless drive to connect the
experience of working at our company to larger cultural spheres. Whatever it is that your firm designs, emphasize the links between your daily design practice and related cultures outside the company walls.
