Design CouncilFuture directions for design research

Presentation to the Design Research Society AGM ,11 Sept 2012

Ailbhe McNabola, Head of Policy Research

Agenda

• Who, why, what• What we’ve done so far: • the scoping study findings

• Next steps: • follow up study on service design

• Discussion and feedback

Who, why, what

Partners

Why focus on design?

Key strategic priority for DC and AHRC. We believe that design plays a key role in economic and social value creation.

It is key to connecting R&D efforts with innovation thereby enabling the market implementation of new knowledge that is fundamental to delivering economic growth and contributing to social renewal.

To develop better evidence, and a more detailed understanding, of:– the value and economic and broader

impact of design,– the connections between design practice

and academic design research, –and levels of engagement between

design research and business.

Why focus on design research?

Scoping Study: To provide direction for future research council funding programmes or other activities in the area of design

Research Question

What research is needed for measuring the role and value of design?

Key questions addressed by the researchDemand side – use of design, value and impact of design for users across the private

and public sector / Supply side – design providers, consultancies, education etc.

• What is the current state of knowledge and research on design, its role and value to a wide range of users?

• What academic design research is being engaged in at UK schools of design and other disciplines?

• What other design research is being engaged in at UK intermediary organisations (such as, but not limited to, DBA, Design Council / CABE)?

• What is the interaction between academic research, intermediary organisations and practice?

• What are the key policy frameworks that may influence design research and measurement?

• What is happening at an international level on measuring and valuing design?

• Who are key audiences and users of evidence about the supply of design, its role and value?

• What are the evidence needs of these groups?

• Where does current research fall short of meeting evidence needs?

• What are the priority evidence gaps and how can research fill these gaps?

Research methodology

Desk research review within set parameters

Event 14th March to consult with design

researchers

Online consultation to gain more engagement

Expert interviews to gain a wider view

Agree scope1

2

3

4

5

Month 1 (Feb) Month 2 (Mar) Month 3 (Apr) Month 4 (May)

Desk research – Gap analysis

Economic well being

Human well being

Sustainability

Confused picture of £ value of design

investment and its benefits

Low level of strategic use

Potential for more application / valuation is

e.g. health care e.g. Kings Fund

Built Environment – lack of clear theory

and guides to practice

Environmental improvement agenda has design as an after

thought

Consultation Findings

Event with design researchers & policymakers• No immediate consensus on areas for

future development• Limited engagement with concept of

measurement• General sense that any future funding

programme needs to clearly articulate what it wants the material generated to achieve and who it is targeted at • e.g. policymakers have different needs to businesses or

design agencies

Online consultation with design industry and academics

• Open call supported but concerns that design might become sidelined

• Endorsement in general of academic work with business / policy makers

• General endorsement of a focused call and need for building evidence on value of design

• No real consensus on funding mechanisms, wide range of suggestions

Consultation Findings

Expert interviews with a wide range of contributors

• Academia – Prof Tom Inns, Prof Rachel Cooper, Prof Nick Chater, Prof Bruce Brown

• Government – Dan Hodges, BIS• World of design – Rab Bennetts, Deborah

Dawton DBA• Cultural organisations – Sir Mark Jones,

Nigel Llewellyn• Business – Joe Ferry, Herman Hauser

Consultation Findings

Expert interviews• Much more interest in what design

achieves than in design itself• Much more engagement with concept of

valuation– Desire to see stronger evidence base for making the case for

design, greater understanding of where that might be useful and how it could be used

– Desire to see some more consistency on the fundamentals at micro and macro level– design’s role and value in the UK economy, and its role at firm level

Consultation Findings

Expert interviews contd.• Desire to see design engaged and learning

much more from other academic disciplines e.g. social science

• More knowledge transfer with the industry

• Endorsement of multidisciplinary projects• Funding needs to be broader than AHRC• Concern over the capacity of creative

disciplines to apply for funding – possible need for support with applications

Consultation Findings

• General response to sand-pits very positive• Capacity building activities likewise endorsed,

with lots of ideas how to make work / deliver• Large collaborative grants, perceived to work

well for multi /inter disciplinary work• Long list of ideas for other funding

mechanisms suggested e.g. fellowships, TSB models, DOH innovation centres etc.

Reflections on Funding Mechanisms

Scoping Study Key Recommendations

Mindful of the increased levels of activity in the design measurement space internationally, it could be unproductive to fund further research on developing evidence on the macro-economic value of design

Scoping Study Key Recommendations

Area that is perhaps most neglected is the developing sector and discipline of service design

- Area most regularly cited as in need of attention across all of the stakeholder research

- Has the potential to make major contributions to innovation & to major challenges such as health and sustainability

- We believe it is under researched, is still an emerging field of practice, and is an area that has the potential to deliver both economic and social value

Other recommendations and considerations

• Bring together economists, design businesses and design researchers in multi-disciplinary teams with design research as an equal partner

• Design researchers need support to get involved with Research Council calls; they need mentoring to lead bids if the real contribution that design can make is to be realised

• There is also an appetite for collaborative work with other stakeholders: business, (design buyers, design suppliers) user groups and policy networks

• In our view, the collaboration between the Design Council and AHRC represents an opportunity to do something inspiring in this space

Next Steps: Service Design

Research methodology

Desk research review within set parameters

Online consultation to gain more engagement

Expert interviews to gain a wider view

Agree scope1

2

4

3

Month 1 (Aug) Month 2 (Sep) Month 3 (Oct) Month 4 (Nov)

• What is service design and where does it occur? Is there a working definition? What are the main areas of activity in the service design profession currently? What are the main areas of activity in academic research in service design currently?

• What is going on internationally in service design both in academic and business spheres?

• What sort of demand is there for service design expertise (professional or academic) in the wider private and public sector businesses?

• To what extent, and in what fields, is there existing engagement between design professionals (or broader businesses) and academic researchers in service design? Where are the gaps in such engagements and opportunities for new collaborations?

Research Questions: what’s happening now

• In what ways does service design contribute to the sustainability of choice for customers and producers?

• How do service designers add value to business? How does service design help businesses to innovate and come up with new ways of working?

• Who else is talking about service design?

• What would the priorities be for any Research Council funding in Service Design?

Research Questions: future priorities

Join our consultation

Feed your views back to us today or complete our survey (accessible through the Design Council / AHRC / ESRC websites later this month)

Our questions for you:

• Are you aware of service design and agencies working in service design?

• Do you see service design as a separate discipline or an ‘application’ of design?

• Does anyone have any case studies to share?

• If you were a Research Council what three key things would you do to support the development of service design?

Your questions for us?

Thank you for listeningailbhe.mcnabola@designcouncil.org.uk