Handbook

This course introduces you to a range of established industrial design research methods, theories, and approaches to understand existing products and develop new ones. The course focuses on rigorous academic research skills and writing within the context of industrial design research, including activities such as observation, analysis and interpretation of user behaviours, simulation of design alternatives, and analysis of available information. The course will deepen your understanding of design thinking and the industrial design process. Your learning will include question framing, writing a challenge statement and a research proposal, reviewing the literature, data gathering, decoding product design forms and values, information analysis and synthesis, and authoring an industrial design research report. You will develop a theoretical platform to underpin your industrial design research enquiry and deepen your understanding of users in terms of their habits, behaviours, and emotions.