Design - Research Methodologies

Code:

MID102

Acronym:

MID

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
CNAEF	Arts

Instance: 2019/2020 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Ciências da Arte e do Design
Course/CS Responsible:	Communication Design

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
DC	63	Plano Oficial do ano letivo 2017	1	-	3	30	81

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

The purpose of this class is to initiate students in the study and practice of design research. In this context, it is intended for the students to learn terminology and diverse research practices, oriented to project development in design, that allow them to establish their work processes.

Learning outcomes and competences

* To research in order to understand the characteristics, goals and the various contexts of a given design project.

* To research exploring various methodologies in order to conceive and develop design projects.

* To understand different research models and methodological approaches, articulating that knowledge with practical applications in design projects.

* To develop skills in problematization, exploration, collection and analysis of data.

* To develop presentation skills regarding design projects.

Working method

Presencial

Program

This class will act on the importance of the relationship between research practices and project development in the design field. Its content will be lectured sequentially and phased into three moments: the first moment is focused on the reception of projects, aiming at an analysis and understanding of the characteristics and contexts of a given project; the second moment is related with the stage of conception and development of projects, concerning ideation and the production of prototypes; the third moment regards project presentation, with the intention of rehearsing and developing skills aimed at public speaking, non-verbal communication, and the use of props.

Mandatory literature

Lupton, Ellen; Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming, Princeton Architectural Press, 2011
Noble, Ian, & Russel Bestley; Visual Research: An introduction to research methodologies in graphic design, AVA Publishing SA, 2005
Steele, William R.; Presentation Skills 201: How to Take it to the Next Level as a Confident, Engaging Presenter, Outskirts Press, 2009

Complementary Bibliography

Ambrose, Gavin, & Paul Harris; Design Thinking, AVA Publishing SA, 2009
Bennet, Audrey (Ed.); Design studies: Theory and research in graphic design, Princeton Architectural Press, 2006
Boden, Margaret A; The Creative Mind: Myths and Mechanisms, 2004. ISBN: Psychology Press
Mahon, Nik; Ideation, AVA Publishing SA, 2011
Merton, R K, E Barber, and J L Shulman; The Travels and Adventures of Serendipity: a Study in Sociological Semantics and the Sociology of Science, Princeton University Press, 2011
O'Grady, Jennifer Visocky, & Kenneth Visocky O'Grady; A Designer's Research Manual: Succeed in Design by Knowing Your Clients and What They Really Need, Rockport Publishers Inc, 2009
O'Rourke, K; Walking and Mapping: Artists as Cartographers, MIT Press, 2013
Van Andel, Pek; Anatomy of the Unsought Finding. Serendipity: Orgin, History, Domains, Traditions, Appearances, Patterns and Programmability, The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 1994
Weinschenk, Susan; 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People, Pearson Education, 2011
Weinschenk, Susan; 100 Things Every Presenter Needs to Know About People, Pearson Education, 2012
Bennet, Audrey (Ed.); Design studies: Theory and research in graphic design, Princeton Architectural Press, 2006

Teaching methods and learning activities

Presentation, analysis and discussion of relevant materials in order to establish a permanent discussion forum among the student working teams.

Setting in place the idea of the creative lab as a space of experimentation and exploration, individually or collectively developing projects in order to implement scientific contents and methodologies in design research.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Defesa pública de dissertação, de relatório de projeto ou estágio, ou de tese	30,00
Participação presencial	10,00
Trabalho laboratorial	60,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	15,00
Frequência das aulas	30,00
Trabalho de investigação	36,00
Total:	81,00

Eligibility for exams

Final grade equal to or higher than 10.

Calculation formula of final grade

* The final grades will be calculated from the mean average of every project evaluation, and its articulation with a qualitative evaluation of the students' attendance and contributions in class and in all the remaining curricular activities: Report 1 (30%) + Report 2 (30%) + Public Presentation (30%) + Continuous Assessment (10%);

* Non delivered projects will be scored with a 0 (zero);

* Projects that are not duly monitored won't be evaluated;

* Projects delivered beyond the established deadlines will be penalized in its score by 20%.

* The lack of attendance by more than 25% of classes will be cause for reprobation.

Classification improvement

Only by attending the class the following year.