Design documentaries: participatory research and design

Bas Raijmakers PhD (RCA)

STBY Amsterdam & London

Social research for service design and open innovation

In-depth qualitative research based on ethnographic research traditions:✤ Observations, interviews✤ Design documentaries, persona creation✤ Diary studies, probe studies✤ Co-creation, lead user involvement

Communicate research to design teams in a rich way, integrated with design and strategy

Strategy

ResearchDesign

STBY

“The customer replaces the direct competitor as the dominant reference point for strategy and innovation.”

(Jeneanne Rae, Business Week 7 Dec 2007)

Strategy

ResearchDesign

Design documentaries

Current uses of video in design ethnography

✤ Document what happens during the research

✤ Select video clips to support analyses

✤ Communicate research to a team

(Demolition of a Wall, Lumière brothers, 1895)

Documentary film is like reality

Documentary film is like a language

(Man with a movie camera, Dziga Vertov, 1929)

Documentary film is like a conversation

(Chronicle of a Summer, Jean Rouch & Edgar Morin, 1961)

Documentary film

The inevitable negotiation between the real and its representation in documentary film is not a problem but something to value because it stimulates us to understand the factual world in a dialectical way.(New documentary: a critical introduction, Stella Bruzzi, 2000)

Issues I addressed in design ethnography

✤ Show people in their context✤ Discover what matters to people✤ Start up a dialogue✤ Create empathy✤ Use a visual language to communicate✤ Open up a space for design

Video clip from Swim, 2006Design documentary for DesignPlus

(See www.designdocumentaries.com)

Video clip from Storage and Clutter in the Home, 2004Design documentary for Equator, RCA(See www.designdocumentaries.com)

Video clip from Debra, 2004Design documentary for Philips Medical Systems Seatle

(See www.designdocumentaries.com)

Video clip from Fred, 2004Design documentary for Philips Medical Systems North America

(See www.designdocumentaries.com)

✤ www.designdocumentaries.com

This research asks the question How can we use documentaryfilm in discovery research? Answers are sought throughstudying films and theory, as well as making films formultidisciplinary design teams. Design is nowadays athoroughly multidisciplinary discipline. It is called uponever more in society and industry to address problems andcreate opportunities. As a result design touches on manyaspects of our everyday lives, and knowledge about howpeople live is an important asset in design processes.

In design processes discovery research is used from thestart, to get access to knowledge about how people live andwhat matters to them. But that is not its only role. Ideally,it also inspires design processes. Video has been used tosupport both roles since the 1980s, but has not movedmuch beyond registering discovery research activities. Forthe first time, this research adds documentary film to themultidisciplinary mix in design in a fundamental way.With more than a hundred years of experience inportraying everyday life, documentary film brings manyinspiring ideas and techniques to discovery researchfor design.

Documentary film has a strong connection to reality, anddeveloped a rich film language. The films that inspire thisresearch in particular present the perspectives of peoplebehind and in front of the camera in conversation witheach other, and invite viewers to join and continue theseconversations. The three notions reality, language andconversation have become the foundation of designdocumentaries, the new method for discovery research indesign that this research introduces. The name designdocumentaries was chosen to stress their origin, theirhybrid form and their particular purpose: to inform andinspire design.

Filmmakers have explored and developed countlesstechniques since 1895. This research groups them asobservation, compilation, intervention and performancetechniques. Observation techniques are driven by a desireto not disturb the situations that are being filmed.Intervention techniques on the other hand interfere insituations by asking questions, adding narration, and so on.Compilation techniques use archival and found footagesuch as tv broadcasts or home movies. Performancetechniques recreate situations from the past throughre-enactment, or create completely new situations withthe protagonists, and possibly the filmmaker, performingroles. These techniques provide an inspiring toolbox fordiscovery research.

Documentary films such as Chronicle of a Summer (JeanRouch and Edgar Morin, 1961) and Lift (Marc Isaacs, 2001)mix the three ideas (reality, language and conversation)and four techniques (observation, intervention,compilation and performance) to tell a story about everydaylife that leaves many idiosyncrasies and complex detailsintact. These films can be seen as discovery research. Notresearch that is filmed – the film itself is the research. Thisis also the starting point for my own filmmaking practice.My films explore how documentary filmmaking canbe(come) discovery research.

During the research, I made several films for and withdesign teams. Fred, Kent and Debra (2004) are films aboutheart patients commissioned by Philips Medical Systems.Drift and Swim (2006) explore the application of smarttextiles, for several small companies. I assisted filmmakerXiaoxiao Sun in making Alena’s Strawberry Farm (2006),for Goldsmiths College and France Telecom/Orange. Inpractice, making design documentaries for design teamsturned out to be an iterative process where documentaryfilm influences discovery research and vice versa. Thinkinginspired making, and making inspired thinking. The twoactivities came together into an iterative process fromwhich design documentaries emerged.

The design documentaries I made raised practical,theoretical and ethical issues which can be grouped aroundthe three ideas that characterise documentary film: reality,language and conversation. Design documentaries connectto reality by accepting the complexity of everyday life.They use film language as a tool to tell stories whichappreciate and handle the complexity of everyday life.Working with participants, researchers and designers duringthe filming happens in a conversational way and createsrelationships between people. Good working practice seemsto be close to the existing, diverse practice in documentaryfilmmaking where possible ways of dealing with similarissues have been explored extensively.

Design documentaries appropriate the three ideas fromdocumentary film for discovery research. The idea thatfilm is like reality is focused on embracing diversity andambiguity in everyday life in the research. The use of filmlanguage becomes an exploration of film aesthetics aimedat expressing these ambiguities and the perspectivesdeveloped during the research. The idea that films areconversations is further developed when designdocumentaries are used to create conversations in designprocesses. Together, these appropriated ideas empowerdiscovery research to communicate stories in new ways,and also to tell new stories. Design documentaries interferedeeply with how discovery research is conducted,communicated and used in design.

Design documentaries offer new ways of doing discoveryresearch based on their characteristics: embracing diversity,exploring aesthetics and creating conversations. In practice,they have shown that research can be part of design, anddesign can be part of research: design documentaries createnew shared spaces for research and design to co-exist. Theymake mixing and moving between research and designeasier, which encourages connections between designand everyday life. Design documentaries introducedocumentary film to the multidisciplinary mix in design,and invite researchers and designers to engage withvideo and everyday life creatively, to inform and inspiredesign processes.

Design teams appreciated the direct access to the peoplein the design documentaries, allowing them to discoverthe context of the situations they were designing for.The creative use of film language, instead of registration,was inspirational for the teams. The perspectivesresearchers added to the films stimulated designers to bringtheir own perspectives to discussions on the research.This facilitated the continuation of conversations thatstarted between researchers and participants during thefilmmaking into the design process.

Thought-provoking insights into everyday life:a new contribution to discovery research in design

Bas Raijmakers PhD (RCA)

Xiaoxiao Sun, 2006

Bas Raijmakers, 2006

Bas Raijmakers, 2004

Marc Isaacs, 2001

See the films at www.designdocumentaries.com

Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin, 1961

This research asks the question How can we use documentaryfilm in discovery research? Answers are sought throughstudying films and theory, as well as making films formultidisciplinary design teams. Design is nowadays athoroughly multidisciplinary discipline. It is called uponever more in society and industry to address problems andcreate opportunities. As a result design touches on manyaspects of our everyday lives, and knowledge about howpeople live is an important asset in design processes.

In design processes discovery research is used from thestart, to get access to knowledge about how people live andwhat matters to them. But that is not its only role. Ideally,it also inspires design processes. Video has been used tosupport both roles since the 1980s, but has not movedmuch beyond registering discovery research activities. Forthe first time, this research adds documentary film to themultidisciplinary mix in design in a fundamental way.With more than a hundred years of experience inportraying everyday life, documentary film brings manyinspiring ideas and techniques to discovery researchfor design.

Documentary film has a strong connection to reality, anddeveloped a rich film language. The films that inspire thisresearch in particular present the perspectives of peoplebehind and in front of the camera in conversation witheach other, and invite viewers to join and continue theseconversations. The three notions reality, language andconversation have become the foundation of designdocumentaries, the new method for discovery research indesign that this research introduces. The name designdocumentaries was chosen to stress their origin, theirhybrid form and their particular purpose: to inform andinspire design.

Filmmakers have explored and developed countlesstechniques since 1895. This research groups them asobservation, compilation, intervention and performancetechniques. Observation techniques are driven by a desireto not disturb the situations that are being filmed.Intervention techniques on the other hand interfere insituations by asking questions, adding narration, and so on.Compilation techniques use archival and found footagesuch as tv broadcasts or home movies. Performancetechniques recreate situations from the past throughre-enactment, or create completely new situations withthe protagonists, and possibly the filmmaker, performingroles. These techniques provide an inspiring toolbox fordiscovery research.

Documentary films such as Chronicle of a Summer (JeanRouch and Edgar Morin, 1961) and Lift (Marc Isaacs, 2001)mix the three ideas (reality, language and conversation)and four techniques (observation, intervention,compilation and performance) to tell a story about everydaylife that leaves many idiosyncrasies and complex detailsintact. These films can be seen as discovery research. Notresearch that is filmed – the film itself is the research. Thisis also the starting point for my own filmmaking practice.My films explore how documentary filmmaking canbe(come) discovery research.

During the research, I made several films for and withdesign teams. Fred, Kent and Debra (2004) are films aboutheart patients commissioned by Philips Medical Systems.Drift and Swim (2006) explore the application of smarttextiles, for several small companies. I assisted filmmakerXiaoxiao Sun in making Alena’s Strawberry Farm (2006),for Goldsmiths College and France Telecom/Orange. Inpractice, making design documentaries for design teamsturned out to be an iterative process where documentaryfilm influences discovery research and vice versa. Thinkinginspired making, and making inspired thinking. The twoactivities came together into an iterative process fromwhich design documentaries emerged.

The design documentaries I made raised practical,theoretical and ethical issues which can be grouped aroundthe three ideas that characterise documentary film: reality,language and conversation. Design documentaries connectto reality by accepting the complexity of everyday life.They use film language as a tool to tell stories whichappreciate and handle the complexity of everyday life.Working with participants, researchers and designers duringthe filming happens in a conversational way and createsrelationships between people. Good working practice seemsto be close to the existing, diverse practice in documentaryfilmmaking where possible ways of dealing with similarissues have been explored extensively.

Design documentaries appropriate the three ideas fromdocumentary film for discovery research. The idea thatfilm is like reality is focused on embracing diversity andambiguity in everyday life in the research. The use of filmlanguage becomes an exploration of film aesthetics aimedat expressing these ambiguities and the perspectivesdeveloped during the research. The idea that films areconversations is further developed when designdocumentaries are used to create conversations in designprocesses. Together, these appropriated ideas empowerdiscovery research to communicate stories in new ways,and also to tell new stories. Design documentaries interferedeeply with how discovery research is conducted,communicated and used in design.

Design documentaries offer new ways of doing discoveryresearch based on their characteristics: embracing diversity,exploring aesthetics and creating conversations. In practice,they have shown that research can be part of design, anddesign can be part of research: design documentaries createnew shared spaces for research and design to co-exist. Theymake mixing and moving between research and designeasier, which encourages connections between designand everyday life. Design documentaries introducedocumentary film to the multidisciplinary mix in design,and invite researchers and designers to engage withvideo and everyday life creatively, to inform and inspiredesign processes.

Design teams appreciated the direct access to the peoplein the design documentaries, allowing them to discoverthe context of the situations they were designing for.The creative use of film language, instead of registration,was inspirational for the teams. The perspectivesresearchers added to the films stimulated designers to bringtheir own perspectives to discussions on the research.This facilitated the continuation of conversations thatstarted between researchers and participants during thefilmmaking into the design process.

Thought-provoking insights into everyday life:a new contribution to discovery research in design

Bas Raijmakers PhD (RCA)

Xiaoxiao Sun, 2006

Bas Raijmakers, 2006

Bas Raijmakers, 2004

Marc Isaacs, 2001

See the films at www.designdocumentaries.com

Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin, 1961

> Reality

This research asks the question How can we use documentaryfilm in discovery research? Answers are sought throughstudying films and theory, as well as making films formultidisciplinary design teams. Design is nowadays athoroughly multidisciplinary discipline. It is called uponever more in society and industry to address problems andcreate opportunities. As a result design touches on manyaspects of our everyday lives, and knowledge about howpeople live is an important asset in design processes.

In design processes discovery research is used from thestart, to get access to knowledge about how people live andwhat matters to them. But that is not its only role. Ideally,it also inspires design processes. Video has been used tosupport both roles since the 1980s, but has not movedmuch beyond registering discovery research activities. Forthe first time, this research adds documentary film to themultidisciplinary mix in design in a fundamental way.With more than a hundred years of experience inportraying everyday life, documentary film brings manyinspiring ideas and techniques to discovery researchfor design.

Documentary film has a strong connection to reality, anddeveloped a rich film language. The films that inspire thisresearch in particular present the perspectives of peoplebehind and in front of the camera in conversation witheach other, and invite viewers to join and continue theseconversations. The three notions reality, language andconversation have become the foundation of designdocumentaries, the new method for discovery research indesign that this research introduces. The name designdocumentaries was chosen to stress their origin, theirhybrid form and their particular purpose: to inform andinspire design.

Filmmakers have explored and developed countlesstechniques since 1895. This research groups them asobservation, compilation, intervention and performancetechniques. Observation techniques are driven by a desireto not disturb the situations that are being filmed.Intervention techniques on the other hand interfere insituations by asking questions, adding narration, and so on.Compilation techniques use archival and found footagesuch as tv broadcasts or home movies. Performancetechniques recreate situations from the past throughre-enactment, or create completely new situations withthe protagonists, and possibly the filmmaker, performingroles. These techniques provide an inspiring toolbox fordiscovery research.

Documentary films such as Chronicle of a Summer (JeanRouch and Edgar Morin, 1961) and Lift (Marc Isaacs, 2001)mix the three ideas (reality, language and conversation)and four techniques (observation, intervention,compilation and performance) to tell a story about everydaylife that leaves many idiosyncrasies and complex detailsintact. These films can be seen as discovery research. Notresearch that is filmed – the film itself is the research. Thisis also the starting point for my own filmmaking practice.My films explore how documentary filmmaking canbe(come) discovery research.

During the research, I made several films for and withdesign teams. Fred, Kent and Debra (2004) are films aboutheart patients commissioned by Philips Medical Systems.Drift and Swim (2006) explore the application of smarttextiles, for several small companies. I assisted filmmakerXiaoxiao Sun in making Alena’s Strawberry Farm (2006),for Goldsmiths College and France Telecom/Orange. Inpractice, making design documentaries for design teamsturned out to be an iterative process where documentaryfilm influences discovery research and vice versa. Thinkinginspired making, and making inspired thinking. The twoactivities came together into an iterative process fromwhich design documentaries emerged.

The design documentaries I made raised practical,theoretical and ethical issues which can be grouped aroundthe three ideas that characterise documentary film: reality,language and conversation. Design documentaries connectto reality by accepting the complexity of everyday life.They use film language as a tool to tell stories whichappreciate and handle the complexity of everyday life.Working with participants, researchers and designers duringthe filming happens in a conversational way and createsrelationships between people. Good working practice seemsto be close to the existing, diverse practice in documentaryfilmmaking where possible ways of dealing with similarissues have been explored extensively.

Design documentaries appropriate the three ideas fromdocumentary film for discovery research. The idea thatfilm is like reality is focused on embracing diversity andambiguity in everyday life in the research. The use of filmlanguage becomes an exploration of film aesthetics aimedat expressing these ambiguities and the perspectivesdeveloped during the research. The idea that films areconversations is further developed when designdocumentaries are used to create conversations in designprocesses. Together, these appropriated ideas empowerdiscovery research to communicate stories in new ways,and also to tell new stories. Design documentaries interferedeeply with how discovery research is conducted,communicated and used in design.

Design documentaries offer new ways of doing discoveryresearch based on their characteristics: embracing diversity,exploring aesthetics and creating conversations. In practice,they have shown that research can be part of design, anddesign can be part of research: design documentaries createnew shared spaces for research and design to co-exist. Theymake mixing and moving between research and designeasier, which encourages connections between designand everyday life. Design documentaries introducedocumentary film to the multidisciplinary mix in design,and invite researchers and designers to engage withvideo and everyday life creatively, to inform and inspiredesign processes.

Design teams appreciated the direct access to the peoplein the design documentaries, allowing them to discoverthe context of the situations they were designing for.The creative use of film language, instead of registration,was inspirational for the teams. The perspectivesresearchers added to the films stimulated designers to bringtheir own perspectives to discussions on the research.This facilitated the continuation of conversations thatstarted between researchers and participants during thefilmmaking into the design process.

Thought-provoking insights into everyday life:a new contribution to discovery research in design

Bas Raijmakers PhD (RCA)

Xiaoxiao Sun, 2006

Bas Raijmakers, 2006

Bas Raijmakers, 2004

Marc Isaacs, 2001

See the films at www.designdocumentaries.com

Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin, 1961

Accepting complexity

✤Participants as a guide

(Debra, Bas Raijmakers, 2004)

Discovering context

✤Focusing on people, not just their needs

(Swim, Bas Raijmakers, 2006)

This research asks the question How can we use documentaryfilm in discovery research? Answers are sought throughstudying films and theory, as well as making films formultidisciplinary design teams. Design is nowadays athoroughly multidisciplinary discipline. It is called uponever more in society and industry to address problems andcreate opportunities. As a result design touches on manyaspects of our everyday lives, and knowledge about howpeople live is an important asset in design processes.

In design processes discovery research is used from thestart, to get access to knowledge about how people live andwhat matters to them. But that is not its only role. Ideally,it also inspires design processes. Video has been used tosupport both roles since the 1980s, but has not movedmuch beyond registering discovery research activities. Forthe first time, this research adds documentary film to themultidisciplinary mix in design in a fundamental way.With more than a hundred years of experience inportraying everyday life, documentary film brings manyinspiring ideas and techniques to discovery researchfor design.

Documentary film has a strong connection to reality, anddeveloped a rich film language. The films that inspire thisresearch in particular present the perspectives of peoplebehind and in front of the camera in conversation witheach other, and invite viewers to join and continue theseconversations. The three notions reality, language andconversation have become the foundation of designdocumentaries, the new method for discovery research indesign that this research introduces. The name designdocumentaries was chosen to stress their origin, theirhybrid form and their particular purpose: to inform andinspire design.

Filmmakers have explored and developed countlesstechniques since 1895. This research groups them asobservation, compilation, intervention and performancetechniques. Observation techniques are driven by a desireto not disturb the situations that are being filmed.Intervention techniques on the other hand interfere insituations by asking questions, adding narration, and so on.Compilation techniques use archival and found footagesuch as tv broadcasts or home movies. Performancetechniques recreate situations from the past throughre-enactment, or create completely new situations withthe protagonists, and possibly the filmmaker, performingroles. These techniques provide an inspiring toolbox fordiscovery research.

Documentary films such as Chronicle of a Summer (JeanRouch and Edgar Morin, 1961) and Lift (Marc Isaacs, 2001)mix the three ideas (reality, language and conversation)and four techniques (observation, intervention,compilation and performance) to tell a story about everydaylife that leaves many idiosyncrasies and complex detailsintact. These films can be seen as discovery research. Notresearch that is filmed – the film itself is the research. Thisis also the starting point for my own filmmaking practice.My films explore how documentary filmmaking canbe(come) discovery research.

During the research, I made several films for and withdesign teams. Fred, Kent and Debra (2004) are films aboutheart patients commissioned by Philips Medical Systems.Drift and Swim (2006) explore the application of smarttextiles, for several small companies. I assisted filmmakerXiaoxiao Sun in making Alena’s Strawberry Farm (2006),for Goldsmiths College and France Telecom/Orange. Inpractice, making design documentaries for design teamsturned out to be an iterative process where documentaryfilm influences discovery research and vice versa. Thinkinginspired making, and making inspired thinking. The twoactivities came together into an iterative process fromwhich design documentaries emerged.

The design documentaries I made raised practical,theoretical and ethical issues which can be grouped aroundthe three ideas that characterise documentary film: reality,language and conversation. Design documentaries connectto reality by accepting the complexity of everyday life.They use film language as a tool to tell stories whichappreciate and handle the complexity of everyday life.Working with participants, researchers and designers duringthe filming happens in a conversational way and createsrelationships between people. Good working practice seemsto be close to the existing, diverse practice in documentaryfilmmaking where possible ways of dealing with similarissues have been explored extensively.

Design documentaries appropriate the three ideas fromdocumentary film for discovery research. The idea thatfilm is like reality is focused on embracing diversity andambiguity in everyday life in the research. The use of filmlanguage becomes an exploration of film aesthetics aimedat expressing these ambiguities and the perspectivesdeveloped during the research. The idea that films areconversations is further developed when designdocumentaries are used to create conversations in designprocesses. Together, these appropriated ideas empowerdiscovery research to communicate stories in new ways,and also to tell new stories. Design documentaries interferedeeply with how discovery research is conducted,communicated and used in design.

Design documentaries offer new ways of doing discoveryresearch based on their characteristics: embracing diversity,exploring aesthetics and creating conversations. In practice,they have shown that research can be part of design, anddesign can be part of research: design documentaries createnew shared spaces for research and design to co-exist. Theymake mixing and moving between research and designeasier, which encourages connections between designand everyday life. Design documentaries introducedocumentary film to the multidisciplinary mix in design,and invite researchers and designers to engage withvideo and everyday life creatively, to inform and inspiredesign processes.

Design teams appreciated the direct access to the peoplein the design documentaries, allowing them to discoverthe context of the situations they were designing for.The creative use of film language, instead of registration,was inspirational for the teams. The perspectivesresearchers added to the films stimulated designers to bringtheir own perspectives to discussions on the research.This facilitated the continuation of conversations thatstarted between researchers and participants during thefilmmaking into the design process.

Thought-provoking insights into everyday life:a new contribution to discovery research in design

Bas Raijmakers PhD (RCA)

Xiaoxiao Sun, 2006

Bas Raijmakers, 2006

Bas Raijmakers, 2004

Marc Isaacs, 2001

See the films at www.designdocumentaries.com

Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin, 1961

> Language

Handling complexity

✤Exploring situations with camera and microphone

(Swim, Bas Raijmakers, 2006)

Finding inspiration

✤Encouraging imagination

(Clutter and storage in the home, Bas Raijmakers, 2004)

This research asks the question How can we use documentaryfilm in discovery research? Answers are sought throughstudying films and theory, as well as making films formultidisciplinary design teams. Design is nowadays athoroughly multidisciplinary discipline. It is called uponever more in society and industry to address problems andcreate opportunities. As a result design touches on manyaspects of our everyday lives, and knowledge about howpeople live is an important asset in design processes.

In design processes discovery research is used from thestart, to get access to knowledge about how people live andwhat matters to them. But that is not its only role. Ideally,it also inspires design processes. Video has been used tosupport both roles since the 1980s, but has not movedmuch beyond registering discovery research activities. Forthe first time, this research adds documentary film to themultidisciplinary mix in design in a fundamental way.With more than a hundred years of experience inportraying everyday life, documentary film brings manyinspiring ideas and techniques to discovery researchfor design.

Documentary film has a strong connection to reality, anddeveloped a rich film language. The films that inspire thisresearch in particular present the perspectives of peoplebehind and in front of the camera in conversation witheach other, and invite viewers to join and continue theseconversations. The three notions reality, language andconversation have become the foundation of designdocumentaries, the new method for discovery research indesign that this research introduces. The name designdocumentaries was chosen to stress their origin, theirhybrid form and their particular purpose: to inform andinspire design.

Filmmakers have explored and developed countlesstechniques since 1895. This research groups them asobservation, compilation, intervention and performancetechniques. Observation techniques are driven by a desireto not disturb the situations that are being filmed.Intervention techniques on the other hand interfere insituations by asking questions, adding narration, and so on.Compilation techniques use archival and found footagesuch as tv broadcasts or home movies. Performancetechniques recreate situations from the past throughre-enactment, or create completely new situations withthe protagonists, and possibly the filmmaker, performingroles. These techniques provide an inspiring toolbox fordiscovery research.

Documentary films such as Chronicle of a Summer (JeanRouch and Edgar Morin, 1961) and Lift (Marc Isaacs, 2001)mix the three ideas (reality, language and conversation)and four techniques (observation, intervention,compilation and performance) to tell a story about everydaylife that leaves many idiosyncrasies and complex detailsintact. These films can be seen as discovery research. Notresearch that is filmed – the film itself is the research. Thisis also the starting point for my own filmmaking practice.My films explore how documentary filmmaking canbe(come) discovery research.

During the research, I made several films for and withdesign teams. Fred, Kent and Debra (2004) are films aboutheart patients commissioned by Philips Medical Systems.Drift and Swim (2006) explore the application of smarttextiles, for several small companies. I assisted filmmakerXiaoxiao Sun in making Alena’s Strawberry Farm (2006),for Goldsmiths College and France Telecom/Orange. Inpractice, making design documentaries for design teamsturned out to be an iterative process where documentaryfilm influences discovery research and vice versa. Thinkinginspired making, and making inspired thinking. The twoactivities came together into an iterative process fromwhich design documentaries emerged.

The design documentaries I made raised practical,theoretical and ethical issues which can be grouped aroundthe three ideas that characterise documentary film: reality,language and conversation. Design documentaries connectto reality by accepting the complexity of everyday life.They use film language as a tool to tell stories whichappreciate and handle the complexity of everyday life.Working with participants, researchers and designers duringthe filming happens in a conversational way and createsrelationships between people. Good working practice seemsto be close to the existing, diverse practice in documentaryfilmmaking where possible ways of dealing with similarissues have been explored extensively.

Design documentaries appropriate the three ideas fromdocumentary film for discovery research. The idea thatfilm is like reality is focused on embracing diversity andambiguity in everyday life in the research. The use of filmlanguage becomes an exploration of film aesthetics aimedat expressing these ambiguities and the perspectivesdeveloped during the research. The idea that films areconversations is further developed when designdocumentaries are used to create conversations in designprocesses. Together, these appropriated ideas empowerdiscovery research to communicate stories in new ways,and also to tell new stories. Design documentaries interferedeeply with how discovery research is conducted,communicated and used in design.

Design documentaries offer new ways of doing discoveryresearch based on their characteristics: embracing diversity,exploring aesthetics and creating conversations. In practice,they have shown that research can be part of design, anddesign can be part of research: design documentaries createnew shared spaces for research and design to co-exist. Theymake mixing and moving between research and designeasier, which encourages connections between designand everyday life. Design documentaries introducedocumentary film to the multidisciplinary mix in design,and invite researchers and designers to engage withvideo and everyday life creatively, to inform and inspiredesign processes.

Design teams appreciated the direct access to the peoplein the design documentaries, allowing them to discoverthe context of the situations they were designing for.The creative use of film language, instead of registration,was inspirational for the teams. The perspectivesresearchers added to the films stimulated designers to bringtheir own perspectives to discussions on the research.This facilitated the continuation of conversations thatstarted between researchers and participants during thefilmmaking into the design process.

Thought-provoking insights into everyday life:a new contribution to discovery research in design

Bas Raijmakers PhD (RCA)

Xiaoxiao Sun, 2006

Bas Raijmakers, 2006

Bas Raijmakers, 2004

Marc Isaacs, 2001

See the films at www.designdocumentaries.com

Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin, 1961

> Conversation

Working with people

✤Developing relationships with participants

(Debra, Bas Raijmakers, 2004)

Exchanging perspectives

✤Establishing emotional connections

(Swim, Bas Raijmakers, 2006)

This research asks the question How can we use documentaryfilm in discovery research? Answers are sought throughstudying films and theory, as well as making films formultidisciplinary design teams. Design is nowadays athoroughly multidisciplinary discipline. It is called uponever more in society and industry to address problems andcreate opportunities. As a result design touches on manyaspects of our everyday lives, and knowledge about howpeople live is an important asset in design processes.

In design processes discovery research is used from thestart, to get access to knowledge about how people live andwhat matters to them. But that is not its only role. Ideally,it also inspires design processes. Video has been used tosupport both roles since the 1980s, but has not movedmuch beyond registering discovery research activities. Forthe first time, this research adds documentary film to themultidisciplinary mix in design in a fundamental way.With more than a hundred years of experience inportraying everyday life, documentary film brings manyinspiring ideas and techniques to discovery researchfor design.

Documentary film has a strong connection to reality, anddeveloped a rich film language. The films that inspire thisresearch in particular present the perspectives of peoplebehind and in front of the camera in conversation witheach other, and invite viewers to join and continue theseconversations. The three notions reality, language andconversation have become the foundation of designdocumentaries, the new method for discovery research indesign that this research introduces. The name designdocumentaries was chosen to stress their origin, theirhybrid form and their particular purpose: to inform andinspire design.

Filmmakers have explored and developed countlesstechniques since 1895. This research groups them asobservation, compilation, intervention and performancetechniques. Observation techniques are driven by a desireto not disturb the situations that are being filmed.Intervention techniques on the other hand interfere insituations by asking questions, adding narration, and so on.Compilation techniques use archival and found footagesuch as tv broadcasts or home movies. Performancetechniques recreate situations from the past throughre-enactment, or create completely new situations withthe protagonists, and possibly the filmmaker, performingroles. These techniques provide an inspiring toolbox fordiscovery research.

Documentary films such as Chronicle of a Summer (JeanRouch and Edgar Morin, 1961) and Lift (Marc Isaacs, 2001)mix the three ideas (reality, language and conversation)and four techniques (observation, intervention,compilation and performance) to tell a story about everydaylife that leaves many idiosyncrasies and complex detailsintact. These films can be seen as discovery research. Notresearch that is filmed – the film itself is the research. Thisis also the starting point for my own filmmaking practice.My films explore how documentary filmmaking canbe(come) discovery research.

During the research, I made several films for and withdesign teams. Fred, Kent and Debra (2004) are films aboutheart patients commissioned by Philips Medical Systems.Drift and Swim (2006) explore the application of smarttextiles, for several small companies. I assisted filmmakerXiaoxiao Sun in making Alena’s Strawberry Farm (2006),for Goldsmiths College and France Telecom/Orange. Inpractice, making design documentaries for design teamsturned out to be an iterative process where documentaryfilm influences discovery research and vice versa. Thinkinginspired making, and making inspired thinking. The twoactivities came together into an iterative process fromwhich design documentaries emerged.

The design documentaries I made raised practical,theoretical and ethical issues which can be grouped aroundthe three ideas that characterise documentary film: reality,language and conversation. Design documentaries connectto reality by accepting the complexity of everyday life.They use film language as a tool to tell stories whichappreciate and handle the complexity of everyday life.Working with participants, researchers and designers duringthe filming happens in a conversational way and createsrelationships between people. Good working practice seemsto be close to the existing, diverse practice in documentaryfilmmaking where possible ways of dealing with similarissues have been explored extensively.

Design documentaries appropriate the three ideas fromdocumentary film for discovery research. The idea thatfilm is like reality is focused on embracing diversity andambiguity in everyday life in the research. The use of filmlanguage becomes an exploration of film aesthetics aimedat expressing these ambiguities and the perspectivesdeveloped during the research. The idea that films areconversations is further developed when designdocumentaries are used to create conversations in designprocesses. Together, these appropriated ideas empowerdiscovery research to communicate stories in new ways,and also to tell new stories. Design documentaries interferedeeply with how discovery research is conducted,communicated and used in design.

Design documentaries offer new ways of doing discoveryresearch based on their characteristics: embracing diversity,exploring aesthetics and creating conversations. In practice,they have shown that research can be part of design, anddesign can be part of research: design documentaries createnew shared spaces for research and design to co-exist. Theymake mixing and moving between research and designeasier, which encourages connections between designand everyday life. Design documentaries introducedocumentary film to the multidisciplinary mix in design,and invite researchers and designers to engage withvideo and everyday life creatively, to inform and inspiredesign processes.

Design teams appreciated the direct access to the peoplein the design documentaries, allowing them to discoverthe context of the situations they were designing for.The creative use of film language, instead of registration,was inspirational for the teams. The perspectivesresearchers added to the films stimulated designers to bringtheir own perspectives to discussions on the research.This facilitated the continuation of conversations thatstarted between researchers and participants during thefilmmaking into the design process.

Thought-provoking insights into everyday life:a new contribution to discovery research in design

Bas Raijmakers PhD (RCA)

Xiaoxiao Sun, 2006

Bas Raijmakers, 2006

Bas Raijmakers, 2004

Marc Isaacs, 2001

See the films at www.designdocumentaries.com

Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin, 1961

> Characteristics of design documentaries

Heartlands: Cornish regeneration project

✤Collaboration with architects✤ Inclusive design facilitation✤Make design docs with local creatives✤Co-creation workshops on services

E-reader services

Service design for ‘Active Reading’

Lead users:academics and librarians

32

Amsterdam: services for citizens and employees

Social research to inform and inspire design and innovation

Bas Raijmakers PhD (RCA) – bas@stby.eu

www.stby.eu