DI901-15 Design Research and Market Insights
Introductory description
This module presents students with a holistic journey into researching, understanding and anticipating people's needs in diverse contexts as stakeholders. Enabling students through their designer's skillset and mindset to apply a range of approaches and methods to understand attitudes, behaviours across the product or project lifecycle is going to present them with capabilities to inform design and commercial decisions . Students will be taught how to use embodied, sensory and live design research methods alongside established market insight to support the overall design process and product development.
Module aims
The module will give an understanding of how to use research to generate insights that improve decision making at
both micro and macro levels. This includes a range of approaches to understand user behaviour and developing
insights that address real world design problems. At a macro level approaches to understanding and estimating
market demand and trends will be taught alongside and developing sustainable commercial strategies built on this
insight. Students will be taught how to use market insight in tandem with design research to support the definition of
user and customer informed value propositions and product requirements. The use of traditional quantitative and
qualitative research methods will be taught, alongside an understanding of the latest technology enabled research
techniques as well as emerging challenges with data quality and reliability in design research.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Quantitative and Qualitative research techniques.
Behaviour, attitudes and decision making
Research design
Market insight and analytics
Data collection, data quality, organisation, evaluation.
Analysing primary, secondary and paradata.
Design and Systems thinking
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Evaluate and apply quantitative and qualitative research methods, to aid the generation of effective stakeholder insights
- Develop practice in research design to collect and collate meaningful market data to formulate market insights
- Critically evaluate and apply a range of tools and techniques to develop Value Propositions that appeal to a specific target segment and propose an appropriate positioning strategy
- Critically analyse the impact of macro and micro environmental factors related to market conditions, business operations and design requirements
- Develop a critical understanding of the limits of research techniques and issues around research ethics and data quality.
Indicative reading list
Koskinen, I.K. 2011, Design research through practice: from the lab, field, and showroom, Morgan Kaufmann,
Waltham, MA.
Johannesson, P. & Perjons, E. 2021, An introduction to design science, Second edn, Springer, Cham.
Vaughan, L. 2017, Practice-based Design Research. Bloomsbury Visual Arts.
Interdisciplinary
Given that this module will be led by Design Studies as part of a joint degree with WMG, our focus on design practice and scholarship is inter and trans-disciplinary by nature and will entail the contribution and content from diverse disciplines including, Anthropology, Sociology, Global Sustainable Development and others.
Subject specific skills
Design Research strategy and methodology,
Primary data collection design, evaluation and analysis,
Secondary data collection, evaluation and analysis,
Design thinking,
Systems thinking,
Life-centred design
Transferable skills
Research
Data collection, collation & interpretation,
Communication skills
Ethical awareness
Intercultural awareness,
Design thinking
Systems thinking
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 12 sessions of 1 hour (8%) |
| Seminars | 8 sessions of 1 hour (5%) |
| Tutorials | 10 sessions of 1 hour (7%) |
| Private study | 60 hours (40%) |
| Assessment | 60 hours (40%) |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
Directed by a module study guide issued at the start of the module. This will direct students to relevant text and
journal readings and other learning activities, including flipped classroom activities, with indicative time allocations for
each.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
|||
| Design Enquiry | 50% | 36 hours | No |
|
This assignment will form a substantial body of work documenting students' individual line of enquiry to investigate and define a "design opportunity". This will require the use of research design to collect and analyse data, leading to market insights in a primary and secondary way. Students will be challenged to undertake and test innovative and established research methods, appropriate for the context they are investigating. This Design Assignment will form a design portfolio of practice which will form students' ontological and epistemological positioning as well as engagement with research ethics. |
|||
Reassessment component is the same |
|||
Assessment component |
|||
| Critical Research Analysis | 50% | 24 hours | No |
|
This assignment will be captured in the form of a Critical Research analysis in the form of a templated visual-textual essay concerning their Design Enquiry. |
|||
Reassessment component is the same |
|||
Feedback on assessment
Rubric and written feedback.
There is currently no information about the courses for which this module is core or optional.