The HCII Leads Discussion for Future Design Research Organization
News
Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) faculty John Zimmerman joined scholars and professionals from across the United States and Canada for an April meeting discussing the possible needs for a North American Design Research organization.
The committee, co-chaired by Zimmerman, met April 28-30, 2016 at the IIT Institute of Design in Chicago, Ill. to discuss the opportunities an academic-oriented design research society would provide to academic researchers, as well as the larger design community.
"This new organization could serve the needs of academic design researchers in North America, and it could also help build a global community of scholarly researchers and practitioners who share an interest in design action as a force of intentional change," the group concluded in an article summarizing the two-day workshop.
The goals of such a society include gaining deeper understanding for more systematic design. Mainly, the committee agreed that while design has been acknowledged to provide an impact on aesthetics, functionality, and now innovation, design's ability to shape and influence societal problems is not as well linked. The groups is, "proposing a linking organization of academia, government, foundations, business, startups to help us to better develop and articulate design knowledge."
For the complete summary visit the Steering Committee's Workshop to Envision Design Research Organizations. For more information about design research at the Human-Computer interaction Institute, visit our website.