Design Research Through Practice

2. The Coming of Age of Constructive Design Research

Constructive design research has a long history. Its roots go back to the 1950s and 1960s in Europe and North America, but most of its research practices have a more recent origin. Most constructive research programs have their immediate roots in the 1990s in usability and user experience studies. Current research goes beyond usercentered design, however. Constructive design researchers borrow methods from design practice, value practice just as much as theory, prefer open conceptual frameworks that encourage creativity, and excavate design tradition for inspiration. Constructive design research is not a unified field, but works in conjunction with many types of institutions, such as the natural ...