9 - Constructive Design Research in Society

Abstract

Any research program worthy of its salt needs to function in society, not just during the project. Successful programs keep designers dialoging with society; unsuccessful ones are unable to keep this dialog going long enough. This chapter reviews constructive design research in society. As soon as researchers leave the university, they face rationalities different from their own. Many of these rationalities are beyond their control; more often than not, researchers find themselves in a subordinate position in activities initiated and controlled by people who think differently. In practice, constructive design researchers work in a network of contracts and overlapping commitments. As various partners come and go into the projects with varying agendas, it is difficult to predict what comes out. Projects like these are called “garbage-cans,” in organizational decision-making processes. To keep research going, researchers have to understand the demands society imposes on them. To function, researchers need to understand some of the rationalities they face outside of the studio. The chapter explores some of these rationalities through the example of Luotain, a key project in Helsinki's empathic design program. Taking these demands into account improves the chances of success in research.