Research through
Design
First Thought
I have a question first that why research through design but not design through research.
Research through design is a process that you don’t know what will happen in the end, and you just choose a big scale world to do the research, trying to ignore all the existing product in the market. By updating the research from designer and user to complete the whole process. However, I like the way to not expect in the beginning, because it is the way to make you open to any idea.
For me, Research through design is just like a theory for design. Practicing the process may help me to understand more.
Main Process
Group Schematic
Since I am in charge of making group schematics, it is quite interesting to check every version of our schematic. In the first version, we didn't fill in all the information, and we agree it was good enough to use. Then, we checked our situation by hanging the schematic on the wall and link all the sketch and document we had on the schematic. We found we lost the spatial analysis in the process, and we did some steps too fast before. By checking the schematic, we view all the things we did so far and made a new plan for the next step. Also, I edited the schematic again to add the losing part. In the final version, I add the effort diagram and try to make connections between the schematic and each module.
Ver.1
Ver.2
Ver.3
Ver.4
Process
We spent long time on the first step collecting the information and interacting with local people to find the potential, we tried hard to find the direction.I personally came up with idea to do some change on small playground in each block,when I was biking around the Vinkhuizen. I found that it was pity they have a nice public ground space ,but only with kids playing equipment .Kids normally play in the afternoons ,so the space is empty in the other time, and I saw some potential to change the space opening to every generation in different time.Also ,Colin had idea about front yard plan, and then I thought if the neighborhood can share the front yard around the ground space, we can make s nice sharing space for the neighborhood.
After we shared the idea togather and discussed with teachers, we got a larger scale plan on Diamant lane and a research question"
‘How can we facilitate the creation of an esthetic enhanced Vinkhuizen? I gave three factor for my own to interpret the question and as the concept when making scenarios : vision impact,social cohesion and people first.Combining the front yard plan and share space plan ,We then focused on creating some scenarios on the site area but missing the step of spatial analysis of this area.However we did the analysis after to give the scenario logic explainations .
There are two important steps we made after we struggling for next step:Reviewing the process and Making study maquette.We then realized we were on which step and we have more realistic feeling about our scenario.
In the final step ,we had to produce a strategy and choose the scenario we want.I think we were kind of in a mess in this stage.We were divided in three group :Report,Maquette and 3D model, and we only had rough idea about final products , so each group put their detailed design in their own way.If we looked into these three part, there are some different between these products.
Overall ,I think we did practiced the Research through design in whole group, although we waste some times, we still find a way to achieve the nice product.
Missing step
A review after the Identify Problem stage and review of final idea
Role in the Process
Always team worker, Plant before making maquette ,and had to be a shaper when making maquette
Missing Role in the Process
We need a monitor to keep an eye on the process, and find the missing step
Reflection
I can now answer the question I had in the first step after the practice.Research through Design view the whole process as a product, and Design through Research is one of the step in the process.I think the value of Research through design is to show the reason and motivation of an designer in a understandable way.And I also realized why each Research through Design is unique.I drew the first schematic with the memory of what I did design before, but I forgot we are doing as a group,and that might be the reason of missing step .Depends on the group member and project, the process will change over time.By recording all of the step ,I can know how can I do better in the same condition next time.