Methods of Design Research

1. Stating Objectives
2. Literature Survey/ Literature Searches
3. Searching for Visual Inconsistencies
4. Interviewing Users/Personal Interviews
5. Investigating User Behavior
6. Focus Groups
7. Telephone Surveys
8. Email/Internet/Mail Surveys
9. Questionnaire
10. Ethnography

Stating Objectives
Aims :
To identify external conditions with which the design must be compatible

Literature Survey
Aims :
To find published information that can favorably influence the designer’s output and
that can be obtained without unacceptable cost and delay.

Searching for Visual Inconsistencies
Aims :
To find directions in which to search for design improvement

Interviewing Users
Aims :
To get information that is known only to the users of the product or system..

Questionnaires
Aims :
To collect usable information from members of large Population

Investigating User Behaviour
Aims :
To explore user behaviour patterns and to predict the performance limits of potential
users of new design

Internet /Email/ Mail Surveys
Aims :
To collect usable information from members of large Population through communication mediums –Internet, Emails or Mail/Postal Survey.

Telephone Surveys
Aims :
To collect usable information from members of large Population through Telephones/Mobile

Focus Groups
Aims :
To explore people’s ideas and attitudes for small group of people.

Ethnography
Aims :
To provide descriptions of human societies, which as a methodology does not
prescribe any particular method (e.g. observation, interview, questionnaire), but
instead prescribes the nature of the study (i.e. to describe people through writing).
type of study is also be called a "field study” or a "case report“.