Michael R. Gibson: "Navigating the Landscapes of Design Research"

Navigating the Landscapes of Design Research: Finding Your Way, a new book co-authored by alumnus Michael Gibson (MFA ​’93, Graphic Design) and Keith Owens, has just been published by Routledge.

The book was created as an accessible ​“guide” to aid designers that have little experience planning and conducting research to inform decision-making, making the case that an integration of research and design is critical. 

Design is changing, and so is the research that informs the decision-making that guides it. Whether you’re just starting out or already working in the field, understanding how to find, evaluate, and apply research, especially of the evidence-based variety, is no longer optional. The challenges designers face today affect and are affected by a vast array of social, technological, environmental, economic, and political factors. These challenges are also complex, tend to be systemic, and often demand broadly informed understandings. These factors have created a world within which relying on intuition and well-honed aesthetic sensibilities, or ​“instincts,” is no longer enough to sustain a viable design career.

In light of these realities, my colleague Keith Owens and I have written a book that creates an accessible entry point into the world of design research. It clearly maps the landscape, describing the origins of different research approaches, how and why they connect, and how to deploy them in actual design work. No prior research experience is required.

More than ever, clients, employers, and collaborators expect evidence-based thinking. This book emphasizes that integrating research into your design practice isn’t just academically valuable — it’s professionally essential. If you want to upgrade your abilities so that they evolve beyond surface-level solutions to making decisions that genuinely hold up, this is where to start.

Navigating the Landscapes of Design Research: Finding Your Way