Designers and scientific knowledge production: a case study of collaboration in Aalto University
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School of Arts, Design and Architecture |
Master's thesis
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Date
2020
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Language
en
Pages
122+7
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Abstract
The societal role of universities and scientific research is being challenged by a new paradigm of knowledge production. Established structures and procedures are being pressured to reconfigure, facing the need to account for increasingly contextual, heterogeneous, transdisciplinary, and socially robust knowledge (Gibbons et al., 1994; Nowotny et al., 2001, 2003). Demand for reflexive and integrated research approaches has become more relevant in the face of global sustainability issues. Consequently, in many academic contexts, interest in multi-disciplinary collaborations is increasing. Among them, the collaboration between design and other disciplines is emerging. However, although a large body of research has investigated the role of design in business (e.g. Muratovski, 2015) and more recently in government and policy making (e.g. Malmberg, 2017), very little is still known about the potential role of design in scientific academic environments. Therefore, this thesis aims to provide an empirical account of design’s contribution to research processes in the current framework of scientific practice. Since its foundation, Aalto University has had the goal to foster a multi-disciplinary community with the mission of “shaping the future” to build a sustainable society (Aalto University, 2015). According to the University Strategy 2016-2020, the goal has been to solve complex societal challenges by combining knowledge from different disciplines, “science and art together with technology and business”. Thus, Aalto University can be seen as a relevant context to observe emerging collaborations between disciplines. Most recently, various initiatives saw designers collaborating with scientists in the process of scientific knowledge production. Through a case study of such initiatives, this research explores practices of collaboration between designers and scientists. Qualitative data was collected through in-depth interviews with a group of 16 participants, composed of designers, scientists and research managers. The results outline various perceived contributions and related benefits of integrating design in the scientific research process. Aspects that act as barriers or facilitating factors to the collaborations are identified as well. Moreover, models from design management and interdisciplinarity studies are borrowed to observe the modalities of integrating and positioning design in the scientific research process and to relate them to the perceived benefits. The study demonstrates that there is indeed potential in establishing design-science collaborations. It provides an initial frame to better understand and articulate the contributions and benefits of integrating design, such as connecting with the public, stakeholders, and the academic community or facilitating and challenging scientific research processes. This study reveals the need for further investigation into the qualities of “deeper” integration and the benefits associated with different models of integration. The findings also point to structural and cultural barriers that need to be addressed in order to establish successful collaborations between designers and scientists.Description
Supervisor
Berglund, EevaThesis advisor
Hodson, EliseKeywords
design, science, multi-disciplinarity, collaboration, knowledge production, scientific research