Design Research Methodology

A research discipline is as good as its research methodology. The relatively new and interdisciplinary discipline of design research requires a robust, well-tested research methodology for supporting the quality of research output and its acceptance in the industry and society. Design Research Methodology: I developed DRM (jointly with Ken Wallace in Cambridge and Lucienne Blessing in Luxembourg) - arguably the most widely used design research methodology in the world. DRM has been taught in several national and international courses for the last ten years in Europe and India, training over four hundred PhD students in using DRM for their research. DRM has also been published in a Springer book in July 2009, co-authored by the Lucienne Blessing and myself, and already sold over three hundred copies. Current research constitutes further development of detailed aspects of the methodology in collaboration with Lucienne Blessing.

Design Research Methodology

Design of all kinds

Design Research Methodology

Collaboration with Prof. Lucienne Blessing (University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg)

Design Research Methodology

DRM, a Design Research Methodology

Assosiated Methods

Design Research Methodology Publications

• [1] Blessing, L.T.M., and Chakrabarti, A. DRM, A Design Research Methodology, Springer-Verlag, London, 2009.
• [2] Blessing, L.T.M., and Chakrabarti, A. DRM: A Design Research Methodology, in International Conference on The Science of Design - The Scientific Challenge for the 21st Century, INSA, Lyon, France, 15-16, 2002. [pdf]
• [3] Chakrabarti, A. Position Statement on the Nature of Theories Sought in Design Research, Workshop on Design Theory, Intl. Conf. on Engineering Design (ICED01), Glasgow, 2001.
• [4] Chakrabarti, A., and Blessing, L.T.M. Position Statement on Nature of Methodology for Design Research, Workshop on Design Research Methodology, Intl. Conf. on Engineering Design (ICED01), Glasgow, 2001.
• [5] Nidamarthi, S., Chakrabarti, A., and Bligh, T.P. Techniques for Research Method Validation in Protocol Studies, Proc. of the Intl. Conference on Engineering Design (ICED99), Vol. 3, pp-1571-1576, Munich, 1999. [pdf]
• [6] Blessing, L.T.M., Chakrabarti, A., and Wallace, K.M. An Overview of Design Studies in Relation to a Design Research Methodology, Proceedings of the Darmstadt Symposium on Designers: the Key to Successful Product Development, Darmstadt, 3-5 December 1997.
• [7] Blessing, L.T.M., Chakrabarti, A. and Wallace, K.M. An Overview of Design Studies in Relation to a Design Research Methodology, Designers: the Key to Successful Product Development, E. Frankenberger, P. Badke-Schaub and H. Birkhofer (Eds.), Springer-Verlag, 1998 (Also Invited paper for the International Symposium on Designers: the Key to Successful Product Development, TU Darmstadt, 3-5 December 1997).
• [8] Blessing, L.T.M., Chakrabarti, A., and Wallace, K.M. A Design Research Methodology, Proceedings of the International Conf. in Engineering Design, Prague, Vol.1, pp50-55, 1995. [pdf]
• [9] Chakrabarti, A., Murdoch, T.N.S., and Wallace, K.M. Towards a Framework for a Glossary of Engineering Design Terms, Proc. of the International Conference in Engineering Design, Prague, Vol. 1, pp-185-186, 1995.
• [10] Blessing, L.T.M. and Chakrabarti, A. Nature and Role of Theories in AI in Design Research Based on a Design Research Methodology, Workshop notes for the “Nature and Role of Theories in AID Researchâ€? Workshop in AI in Design Conference, Lausanne, 1994. [pdf]
• [11] Chakrabarti, A. A Framework for a Glossary of Engineering Design Terms, Technical Report No. CUED/C-EDC/TR18-June 1994, University of Cambridge, 1994.
• [12] Chakrabarti, A., Murdoch, T.N.S. and Edwards, K.L. Implementation of the Framework for a Glossary of Engineering Design Terms, Technical Report No. CUED/C-EDC/TR24-October 1994, University of Cambridge, 1994.
• [13] Blessing, L.T.M., Chakrabarti, A., and Wallace, K.M. Some Issues in Engineering Design Research, Open University / S.E.R.C. “Design Methodsâ€? Workshop, The Open University, 18 November 1992. [pdf]