ON METHODOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ENGINEERING DESIGN RESEARCH
DS 32: Proceedings of DESIGN 2004, the 8th International Design Conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Year: 2004
Editor: Marjanovic D.
Author: Horváth, I.
Section: KEYNOTE
Page(s): 37 - 44
Abstract
Its growing importance requests us to better understand engineering design and design research. Our investigation focuses on the methodological characteristics of design research. The method of investigation is dissociation, a speculative demarcation of the characteristics of research in natural/social/technical sciences and of design research. We sorted the characteristics in common, counter and unique categories. Relativity, constructivism, and interpretive nature are seen as the counter parts of absoluteness, reductionism, and explanatory nature of research in sciences. Design research has unique methodological characteristics: teleological, multi-focal and normatively instrumental. However, it is neither paradigmatic nor predictive.
Keywords: engineering design, design research, methodological charactersitics, unique characteristics, methodological differences