Mythbusters - Design Research Edition
Chris Rockwell's (Lextant) IDSA conference presentation on design research myths is available via SlideShare...and directly above. There's no audio,but the slide text is largely self-explanatory. This was one of the presentations that I regret missing since I wasn't at the conference, so I'm glad it has been made available.
I particularly appreciate Rockwell challenging the now cliche notion that "people can't tell you what they want" (Myth #2), which has been used as a rallying cry for observational research over interviews and focus groups. In fact both interviews and observations are effective and have their place when done appropriately (and in most cases, co-exist).
Similarly, "Designers can't design until research is complete" (Myth #10) again brings the real-world perspective against theoretical ideals. If anything, the mainstream emphasis on design research in recent years should have increased the cross-collaboration between research and design.
Lextant is also hosting a recurring conference call program on various topics. Today it's on Design Hacks (registration required) and features Steve Portigal.
