The Design Method

A frank explanation for designers on how to create and implement a practical process for creating functional visual communication Feeling uninspired? That shouldn't keep you from creating great design work. Design is not about luck, inspiration, or personal expression.

Solves wicked design problems that crop up during the design process. Contains tips and tricks from the works of master designers and innovators like Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Edison, and Pablo Picasso. Shows you how to involve all members of the creative process—from clients to directors—so that everyone participates, critiques, and innovates. Features real-world examples of Design Studio projects that highlight the successes of this method and ways to adapt it to your needs.

This book deals with a wide range of techniques used in the urban design process. It then goes on to relate these techniques to a unique, comprehensive account of method. A method of urban design is developed which has sustainability and environmental protection at the centre of its philosophy. Previously, literature regarding the urban design method has been almost totally neglected; this book introduces the topic to the reader. This revised Second Edition encompasses the latest techniques including the development of geographic information systems and financial techniques which help evaluate projects. A number of techniques are illustrated by example or case study. Where techniques are discussed they are located within the structure of the design process. The book develops a logical framework for a process, which includes problem definition, survey, analysis, concept generation, evaluation and implementation. It is this framework which leads toward the development of an urban design method. This book is a practical guide for students or professionals in the early part of their careers. It is organized so that each chapter provides guidance which readers would have otherwise had to discover for themselves, often with some difficulty.

The classic survey design reference, updated for the digital age For over two decades, Dillman's classic text on survey design has aided both students and professionals in effectively planning and conducting mail, telephone, and, more recently, Internet surveys. The new edition is thoroughly updated and revised, and covers all aspects of survey research. It features expanded coverage of mobile phones, tablets, and the use of do-it-yourself surveys, and Dillman's unique Tailored Design Method is also thoroughly explained. This invaluable resource is crucial for any researcher seeking to increase response rates and obtain high-quality feedback from survey questions. Consistent with current emphasis on the visual and aural, the new edition is complemented by copious examples within the text and accompanying website. This heavily revised Fourth Edition includes: Strategies and tactics for determining the needs of a given survey, how to design it, and how to effectively administer it How and when to use mail, telephone, and Internet surveys to maximum advantage Proven techniques to increase response rates Guidance on how to obtain high-quality feedback from mail, electronic, and other self-administered surveys Direction on how to construct effective questionnaires, including considerations of layout The effects of sponsorship on the response rates of surveys Use of capabilities provided by newly mass-used media: interactivity, presentation of aural and visual stimuli. The Fourth Edition reintroduces the telephone—including coordinating land and mobile. Grounded in the best research, the book offers practical how-to guidelines and detailed examples for practitioners and students alike.

How can you establish a customer-centric culture in an organization? This is the first comprehensive book on how to actually do service design to improve the quality and the interaction between service providers and customers. You'll learn specific facilitation guidelines on how to run workshops, perform all of the main service design methods, implement concepts in reality, and embed service design successfully in an organization. Great customer experience needs a common language across disciplines to break down silos within an organization. This book provides a consistent model for accomplishing this and offers hands-on descriptions of every single step, tool, and method used. You'll be able to focus on your customers and iteratively improve their experience. Move from theory to practice and build sustainable business success.

The first step-by-step guidebook for successful innovation planning Unlike other books on the subject, 101 Design Methods approaches the practice of creating new products, services, and customer experiences as a science, rather than an art, providing a practical set of collaborative tools and methods for planning and defining successful new offerings. Strategists, managers, designers, and researchers who undertake the challenge of innovation, despite a lack of established procedures and a high risk of failure, will find this an invaluable resource. Novices can learn from it; managers can plan with it; and practitioners of innovation can improve the quality of their work by referring to it.

Presenting a novel biomimetic design method for transferring design solutions from nature to technology, this book focuses on structure-function patterns in nature and advanced modeling tools derived from TRIZ, the theory of inventive problem-solving. The book includes an extensive literature review on biomimicry as an engine of both innovation and sustainability, and discusses in detail the biomimetic design process, current biomimetic design methods and tools. The structural biomimetic design method for innovation and sustainability put forward in this text encompasses (1) the research method and rationale used to develop and validate this new design method; (2) the suggested design algorithm and tools including the Find structure database, structure-function patterns and ideality patterns; and (3) analyses of four case studies describing how to use the proposed method. This book offers an essential resource for designers who wish to use nature as a source of inspiration and knowledge, innovators and sustainability experts, and scientists and researchers, amongst others.

Brainstorming and Beyond describes the techniques for generating ideas verbally, in writing, or through sketches. The first chapter focuses on brainstorming, the foundation method for ideation, which is a complex social process building off of social psychology principles, motivational constructs, and corporate culture. Brainstorming is commonly portrayed as an easy way to generate ideas, but in reality, it is a complex social process that is often flawed in ways that are not self-evident. Chapter 2 discusses Brainwriting, which is a variation on brainstorming in which each person writes ideas down on paper and then passes the paper to a new person who reads the first set of ideas and adds new ones. Since there is no group shouting out of ideas, strong facilitation skills are not required, and more often than not, Brainwriting results greatly exceed those of group brainstorming in a shorter time because ideas are generated in a parallel, rather than serial, fashion. Brainwriting is useful when time is limited, groups are hostile, or you are dealing with a culture where shouting out wild or divergent ideas might be difficult. Finally, in Chapter 3, readers learn about Braindrawing, a method of visual brainstorming that helps practitioners generate ideas for icons, other graphics, user interface layouts, or Web page designs. Each of these methods provides readers with ways to generate, present, and evaluate ideas so they can begin building a strong foundation for product success. Learn the proper techniques for generating ideas with limited time, hostile audiences, and limited facilitation support Explores efficient processes for analyzing the value of ideas Examines ways to generate visual as well as textual ideas

Heavily grounded in helping students make the best choices for their projects, this book explores how to develop and work with theory, research questions, and method selection to build solid, logical proposals and move from research concepts to fully realized designs. Rather than rushing initial planning stages or reverse engineering questions from preferred methods, it encourages students to challenge unconscious biases around method selection and analysis and provides step-by-step guidance on choosing a method that is in-line with the question being explored. Focused on the role of the researcher within research design, it stresses the need to consider the theoretical underpinnings of research and not just practical issues when designing a project. It provides a sophisticated toolkit to understand: - The critical issues associated with both qualitative and quantitative methods - The approach that works best for specific research questions - How design choices can affect practice. Perfect for upper undergraduate and postgraduate students, this book will instil confidence and good decision making to ensure constructively informed design and practice.