Exploring the 'Defining-Finding Dilemma' in Design Research : Insights from a Series of Speculative Co-Design Workshops

Dore, Mayane and Lindley, Joseph and Green, David Philip and Benjamin, Jesse (2024) Exploring the 'Defining-Finding Dilemma' in Design Research : Insights from a Series of Speculative Co-Design Workshops. In: DRS2024: Research Papers :. DRS2024 Boston: Design Research Society Conference 2024 . Design Research Society, USA. ISBN 9781912294626

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Abstract

This paper shares the results of a series of speculative co-design workshops that employed sketches and visual metaphors to facilitate collective discussions about a hypothetical Design Research database. The primary objective of these workshops was to explore the challenges related to documenting, sharing, searching, and discovering Design Research examples while simultaneously addressing underlying questions surrounding knowledge-making in the field. Following this approach, we identify six distinctive qualities that characterize Design Research, shedding light on what is referred to as the defining-finding dilemma. The paper finally suggests potential pathways for interaction design to navigate this issue through alternative modes of interaction.