Design Research Through Practice

7. How to Work with Theory

One observation from this book is that constructive design research has roots in many theoretical traditions. When we traced the intellectual influences behind research, we discovered references to what philosophers call post-Cartesian philosophy. For example, field researchers may refer to debates on user experience, but see this concept through symbolic anthropology, symbolic interactionism, pragmatism, or phenomenology. Showroom researchers, for their part, build on things like surrealism and Critical Theory. Importantly, these are open ways of thinking where they do not define what is important in design. They give priority to design; research follows design rather than vice versa. Contribution to knowledge happens ...