Designer-maker: Merging cognition and construction in practice-led design research

Abstract

In the decades since the establishment of design research, efforts to identify the nature of design knowledge have repeatedly returned to the question of design’s relationship to science. The resulting debate is often framed by the opposing tenets of positivism and constructivism, and this gap continues to characterize research across the discipline. This paper challenges the paradigmatic divide between cognition and construction through an examination of practice-led design research and, more specifically, a redefinition of the designer-maker. It presents perceptualspace as an active, multimodal medium where cognition and construction emerge simultaneously, as evidenced by the work of the designer-maker. Thisin turn supports a necessary evolution in design thinking: through the lens of making, design thinking is design doing, demonstrating the interconnectedness of practice-led design research, craft knowledge, and material-driven design, as well as their significance for the broader discipline.