Mind Design #21, 2009
American Design Researcher: Danish Design Research has Great Potential
Denmark has a great potential for building a powerful design research environment that would ensure design research a central position in national development, says one of the world’s leading design researchers, Professor Richard Buchanan of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He visited Denmark in late August to speak at the annual Danish Centre for Design Research’s research rally and to take a closer look at developments within the fields of design and design research in Denmark. He believes that the strong Danish design culture can be expanded to new arenas both in Denmark and abroad.
Denmark has a great potential for building a powerful design research environment that would ensure design research a central position in national development, says one of the world’s leading design researchers, Professor Richard Buchanan of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He visited Denmark in late August to speak at the annual Danish Centre for Design Research’s research rally and to take a closer look at developments within the fields of design and design research in Denmark. He believes that the strong Danish design culture can be expanded to new arenas both in Denmark and abroad.
Design Theory Under Debate
The annual research rally for the researchers associated with the Danish Centre for Design Research helps consolidate and develop the Danish design research environment. This year’s theme was the nature of design theory and the significance of theory for a practice-based field such as design. The debate among the design researchers was enriched with interesting and inspiring contributions from Professor Richard Buchanan from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and Associate Professor Daniel Fällman from Umeå University, Sweden.
The annual research rally for the researchers associated with the Danish Centre for Design Research helps consolidate and develop the Danish design research environment. This year’s theme was the nature of design theory and the significance of theory for a practice-based field such as design. The debate among the design researchers was enriched with interesting and inspiring contributions from Professor Richard Buchanan from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and Associate Professor Daniel Fällman from Umeå University, Sweden.
Building Knowledge Based on Design Practice
The two-year part-time Master’s Programme in Design enrolled its first class in 2005. June 2009 saw the graduation of the second class: 18 new masters of design. With their dissertations, the graduates help heighten the academic qualifications of the design profession, says one of the external examiners at the recent final oral examination, Professor Halina Dunin-Woyseth. Many of the dissertations spring from design practice and use academic tools to enrich and explain the understanding of practice.
The two-year part-time Master’s Programme in Design enrolled its first class in 2005. June 2009 saw the graduation of the second class: 18 new masters of design. With their dissertations, the graduates help heighten the academic qualifications of the design profession, says one of the external examiners at the recent final oral examination, Professor Halina Dunin-Woyseth. Many of the dissertations spring from design practice and use academic tools to enrich and explain the understanding of practice.
