Summary/ Reflection
There is a heavy emphasis on qualitative data in design research. It involves engaging with the issue personally and respectfully. In order to truly understand something, we can use methods like ethnography to observe and collect data. The research process for design is much like a scientific one but it focuses on connections between the problem and the solution, or how we can understand and form those connections. Thinking about research always seemed like a one dimensional thing, but that is because I had only ever really experienced or learned about the more academic/ scientific/ standard methods of research. Some of these methods I feel I could have known about but was never able to categorize or relate to a design researching process. These methods often are personal or up close to others, because designers need to know how others connect with objects and how they can use this to create products more easily relatable or desired by the masses. Using this research, we can create modern products but also ideas for future ones. Ideas that will thrive in the future market based on what we see in our research today.
One thing I thought was interesting was the mention of short film and how it can be used as a tool to forecast the design market. As someone interested in film I can see the connection between the reaction of the audience as a tell to whether or not there will be interest in a product.
