[IxDA Discuss] Design research

[Dan Saffer]

On May 9, 2007, at 10:53 AM, Jeff Howard wrote:

> Design research is broader than
> exploratory user research. Even if you're just fixing a usability
> issue, I believe that it's helpful to conduct some informal
> evaluative research on your design solution, even if it's just in
> the form of cubicle usability testing.

I was not including evaluative research aka user/product testing in  
the essay. Like you said, I think that nearly always has value, even  
if it is done informally. I don't consider that research (although  
some do obviously). I consider that product testing. I was discussing  
generative and exploratory research. Which, as I have said  
repeatedly, are valuable activities for the reasons you and Dave and  
Jeff and Marc and others have stated. They will always add something  
to the process and product, but they don't always need to be done.  
That's my premise.

We do, however, as a profession, have to face the fact that some of  
the most-celebrated designs of our time were done with little to no  
research or testing at all. If you disagree with the premise of my  
essay, you're free to come to your own conclusions as to how and why  
that might be.

Dan