A Postgraduate Thesis Model for Research through Design Based on Design Criteria

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Abstract

Research through design is a term often used to justify the practice of design within research environments, particularly in academia and for postgraduate design researchers. While designing produces new knowledge evidenced by and embedded on the new designs produced, it is also subjective and based on tacit knowledge, and an essential requirement of research is to engage in a systematic way of enquiry that creates explicit knowledge. Through three case studies, we suggest a thesis model for postgraduate design researchers in which designers construct sets of criteria at different stages of the research and design process. We suggest that it is possible to engage in creative practice through a systematic way that produces explicit knowledge and does not compromise freedom of expression.