Abstract
This paper presents findings from a national survey carried out in Sweden during the fall of 2003. At the time, no systematic study had been made in order to gather information about current design research among the Swedish academic society as a whole. A survey was sent out by e-mail in September 2003 via the newly formed network named Swedish Industrial Design Research and Education Agenda (SWIDREA). Due to the dynamic growth of the network additional responses will be added until the end of the year, which means that it is not possible to present the findings at present time. Still, preliminary findings show some interesting points. First, there is evidence supporting the statements that design is a young research area. Within the design schools there are few doctoral students at present time and their supervisors are often found outside their own department. Some schools are just starting-up their doctoral education and have only one or very few students. Second, due to the eclectic nature of the design area there are great varieties in topics, methods used, as well as structures of the different doctoral programs throughout the country. Third, the balance between active senior researchers and doctoral students are skew at present time. Findings show that there are almost a 50/50 relationship between active researchers/supervisors and doctoral students at present time. Together with the second statement, this means that there is also a severe lack of competent supervisors within the field at present time. Conclusions point toward a situation where a rather large part of the Swedish design research that is carried out is done through doctoral student projects. It is also evident that there are a number of professors that has just, or not yet, started their own research projects, often lacking the tradition of doing research. Senior researchers within the field are mostly found at engineering- and business-schools at present time.
Citation
Bodin, J. (2004) Design Research in Sweden: Findings From a National Survey., in Redmond, J., Durling, D. and de Bono, A (eds.), Futureground - DRS International Conference 2004, 17-21 November, Melbourne, Australia. https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conference-papers/drs2004/researchpapers/199
Design Research in Sweden: Findings From a National Survey.
This paper presents findings from a national survey carried out in Sweden during the fall of 2003. At the time, no systematic study had been made in order to gather information about current design research among the Swedish academic society as a whole. A survey was sent out by e-mail in September 2003 via the newly formed network named Swedish Industrial Design Research and Education Agenda (SWIDREA). Due to the dynamic growth of the network additional responses will be added until the end of the year, which means that it is not possible to present the findings at present time. Still, preliminary findings show some interesting points. First, there is evidence supporting the statements that design is a young research area. Within the design schools there are few doctoral students at present time and their supervisors are often found outside their own department. Some schools are just starting-up their doctoral education and have only one or very few students. Second, due to the eclectic nature of the design area there are great varieties in topics, methods used, as well as structures of the different doctoral programs throughout the country. Third, the balance between active senior researchers and doctoral students are skew at present time. Findings show that there are almost a 50/50 relationship between active researchers/supervisors and doctoral students at present time. Together with the second statement, this means that there is also a severe lack of competent supervisors within the field at present time. Conclusions point toward a situation where a rather large part of the Swedish design research that is carried out is done through doctoral student projects. It is also evident that there are a number of professors that has just, or not yet, started their own research projects, often lacking the tradition of doing research. Senior researchers within the field are mostly found at engineering- and business-schools at present time.