Within our work, using designing as a part of research activities takes a prominent place. How do activities such as creating visions, prototypes, and using these to intervene in practical situations contribute to the gaining of new knowledge?
The TUD-IDE research portfolio distinguishes three, connected, types of research at our faculty. In the central one, ‘research in design context’, or ‘research through design’, design activities are seen as a central activity of the research. The role of this activity can vary. It can be in a validating sense: a prototype is designed as an expression of a research hypothesis, which is then validated in an experimental test. Or the act of designing the prototype is itself a means of exploring a domain. In the applied themes, realizing a goal in a situation is the force which calls in knowledge and drives the development of prototypes.
