Getting started in the design field? 🖌️ Develop your research skills for career success 📃

Research isn't just for scientists. Designers use it too!

Design is more than just making things look nice. It's a way of problem-solving.

Whether it's figuring out what logo best represents a business or how to make apps and websites easy to use.

Before you start designing, you need to gather the right information — which you can only do by asking the right questions.

Strong research skills will make you a better designer and help your career!

To solve a problem, you need to understand it deeply so you're not just guessing.

That's where research comes in. You need to know:

• Who you're designing for. Understanding people is key to knowing what they need and how your design will need to match their needs

• What already exists. References can give you inspiration, and understanding what the problem currently looks like is useful context for design

• What actually works. Design theory tells us what generally works. But testing and collecting data will tell you if your design actually meets your goals.

Research is an organised way of learning new things, finding answers, testing ideas, and gathering facts and information.

Sorting through that information will lead you to the most useful pieces of knowledge that'll tell you exactly how to fix a problem.

These research insights help designers make better decisions, whether it's choosing a creative direction or the right materials to make a product.

But good research can be hard to do right. You need to make sure your research is unbiased, useful, and accurate...which is a skill you can develop!

Research shows up in design more than you'd think.

Photo by UX Indonesia on Unsplash

Using research as part of the creative process is called design research. Design research helps us learn more about the people and problems we are designing for.

Some real-life examples of design research:

• A graphic designer collecting visual references for inspiration to find a unique way to stand out from other brands

• A UX designer watching someone try to use an app to see where they get confused

• An industrial designer figuring out what materials will make a product both durable and lightweight

• A learning designer figuring out what knowledge learners have before designing a lesson

To do good design research, you first need to learn the basic rules of research.

1. Start with a clear, specific research question.

• Bad research question: Do people like our new website?

• Good research question: What parts of our new website design do users find confusing when trying to create an account?

2. Gather information that will help you answer your question.

To collect data, you'll need to choose the right research method(s).

In the design world, you'll commonly collect qualitative data. This is non-numerical data like ideas, feelings, and experiences, which helps us understand how and why people behave a certain way.

You might use two types of sources:

Primary research:

• Original, first hand sources

• Examples: surveys or interviews with people affected by the problem

Secondary research:

• Existing sources with information already collected by others.

• Examples: academic papers, books and articles

It is important to check your sources to make sure they are accurate and fair. Make sure they come from a trusted place. And remember to stay neutral so you don’t only pick sources that agree with your opinions.

3. Analyse and interpret the data.

Once you have all your information, look for repeating patterns. This might require some data analysis.

Grouping similar themes together is how you turn raw data into useful design insights.

You might need to communicate these findings to others, so being able to tell a clear, engaging story about your research is super important.

1. Get good at finding information.

Finding relevant sources and reliable information is especially important in the age of the internet and artificial intelligence (AI).

2. Practice critical thinking and curiosity.

A good designer and researcher isn't afraid to keep asking why. To make smart design decisions, you need to have good judgement and use evidence to evaluate options carefully.

3. Practice clear communication and storytelling.

Designers often work in teams. You might need to explain your research and convince others to make decisions based on it.

Ready to start developing your research skills?