Abstract

This paper serves the purpose of providing an overview of six graduate students projects and theses that incorporated traditional research methods throughout their learning process. An overview of the Master of Industrial Design Program is provided in order to understand how their studies are couched and regulated. The six students whose work is presented represent the varied paths and processes an individualized Master’s degree with design research takes. Following these project overviews are recommendations for those who are working to incorporate research methods into their design curriculum, and for those who want to prepare Masters students for doctoral studies in design. The introduction into design research is not meant to make design researchers out of designers, but rather have the students become intimately aware of the various methods of research and how the methods can inform their work.

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Nov 17th, 12:00 AM

Incorporating Research into Master of Industrial Design Projects and Theses: Six Students with Six Design Research Paths.

This paper serves the purpose of providing an overview of six graduate students projects and theses that incorporated traditional research methods throughout their learning process. An overview of the Master of Industrial Design Program is provided in order to understand how their studies are couched and regulated. The six students whose work is presented represent the varied paths and processes an individualized Master’s degree with design research takes. Following these project overviews are recommendations for those who are working to incorporate research methods into their design curriculum, and for those who want to prepare Masters students for doctoral studies in design. The introduction into design research is not meant to make design researchers out of designers, but rather have the students become intimately aware of the various methods of research and how the methods can inform their work.

 

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