Research must form a core part of our practice.

Design Research

We use the design process as research, where projects develop deep understanding of the contexts we work in - this includes the needs, values and practices of people, the workings of systems and the influence of the built environment. This knowledge can play its own role in supporting change and is valuable in extending impact beyond the scope of individual projects.

We also do research on Design, which looks to understand how the design works at the turning point, what methods can support people to explore new futures and build the tools needed to generate momentum.

We also research design’s real world impact. The impact of our design knowledge when it is enacted in projects and environments. Our design research practice is about creating, learning and sharing ways that design can support growth and change. Fundamental to doing this is documenting the impact of our design knowledge when applied in practice.

Contexts

Our design research and practice occurs in multiple contexts. We have areas of deep experience as well as constantly expanding into new areas – particularly those with opportunities for social impact. Some current focuses include systems, processes and places in:

Health and mental health
Justice
Universities and research organisations
Third sector organisations
Public sector (capability)
Social and environmental sustainability
Social and strategic in private practice
Rural communities

Recommended Reading

Featured

Towards Humane Prisons BY INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS

The design of any building profoundly affects how we feel and act within it. This is especially true of places of detention: people deprived of their liberty, sometimes for lengthy periods, have no control over their daily lives. Moreover, prison staff fulfil a vital public service and deserve to work in a safe and healthy environment.

This publication provides guiding principles on prison planning and design. These principles are derived from the International Committee of the Red Cross’s extensive experience of visiting detention places around the world and aim to address the shortcomings it has sometimes observed when countries build new prisons. It is hoped that the guiding principles will help to inform structured and inclusive decision-making to ensure decent living and working conditions in the prisons that are ultimately built.

The book is intended for national detention authorities and others with an interest in this domain, including international donors and advisers.

Designing for the Common Good by Kees Dorst & contributing authors

Our societies are becoming more complex, dynamic, and networked every day. Public organizations and companies alike are learning the hard way that the societal challenges before us cannot be resolved as they were in the past. We need new approaches to these problems.

Over the past ten years, an increasing number of government organisations, companies, and individuals have realised that special practices from design can help us rise to the challenge. At the core of this book are twenty case studies from around the world that demonstrate how design approaches can be used for societal change. These extensive case descriptions are interspersed with reflections, lessons learned, and tricks and tips for the practitioner, culminating in a vision of how design can revolutionise society.