Collaborative research projects are great opportunities for the involved design professionals to learn. Many design professionals join in such collaborations to contribute with their existing professional expertise, but also to further develop and extend that expertise. However, learning by individuals is usually not the main aim, and we lack insight in the learning opportunities through collaboration in such projects. We propose that we need to understand this learning process better in order to make this happen more often and more effectively. This paper presents how four design professionals who each participated in different collaborative research projects look back on their learning processes. We interviewed each participant and drew a process map with them. The results show that these projects offer multifaceted learning opportunities and outcomes of important value for the professionals.The paper shows that their learning a) is not always easily recognised by the professionals themselves, b) benefits from their active engagement as learners, and c) requires supportive conditions in project arrangements. The paper provides guidelines for lead researchers, design professionals, as well as funding agencies to recognise and value this learning, to support explicit reflection and articulation, and to facilitate supportive learning conditions.

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Academic design research often fails to contribute to design practice. This dissertation explores how design research collaborations can provide knowledge that design professionals will use in practice. The research shows that design professionals are not addressed as an important audience between the many audiences of collaborative research projects. The research provides insight in the learning process by design professionals in design research collaborations and it identifies opportunities for even more learning. It shows that design professionals can learn about more than designing, but also about application domains or project organization. @en

Academic design research has developed a rich collection of knowledge and tools, but often the results fail to land in design practice. We conducted an interview series with experienced design professionals to study how the knowledge that they derived from research projects was of use to them. They used tools, papers, books, and their own experience in research projects to learn about designing, about the application domain and about project organisation. We found that useful knowledge for design practice can take various formats, including prescribing tools which serve as demonstrator and a reference frame. We discuss how academic researchers can use these insight to make their research more applicable in a way that meets design practice needs.@en

Knowledge from academic design research projects does not always help design professionals to actually strengthen their work. Based on a multi-case study, this paper describes how researchers view the impact of their design research projects on design practice and what they do to achieve this. Even in projects where impact on design practice is a stated ambition, several challenges can stand in the way, such as a lack of funding opportunities and unclarity on the needs of design practice. The paper provides tips for researchers and funding parties who want to inform design practice by research, including tips to operationalize design practice roles.

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Academic design research has developed a rich collection of knowledge and tools, but often the results fail to land in design practice. We conducted an interview series with experienced design professionals to study how the knowledge that they derived from research projects was of use to them. They used tools, papers, books, and their own experience in research projects to learn about designing, about the application domain and about project organisation. We found that useful knowledge for design practice can take various formats, including prescribing tools which serve as demonstrator and a reference frame. We discuss how academic researchers can use these insight to make their research more applicable in a way that meets design practice needs.

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Beelden van Applied Design Research. Onderzoekers bestuderen de wereld zoals die is. Ontwerpers willen de wereld veranderen. Applied design research is een vorm van praktijkgericht onderzoek waarin beide benaderingen worden geïntegreerd, om nieuwe kennis op te doen én om praktische oplossingen te ontwikkelen. Maar hoe doe je dat, aangezien ontwerpen en onderzoeken sterk verschillen en beantwoorden aan verschillende standaarden? Dit boek is geen receptenboek, maar het biedt wel een kijkje in de keuken van 22 lectoren aan diverse hogescholen. Ze passen applied design research toe op diverse gebieden, variërend van de gezondheidszorg tot aan retail. Elke bijdrage biedt een ander perspectief en demonstreert dat met illustratieve voorbeelden. Géén geeft een volledige uitleg, maar samen bieden ze een rijk beeld van wat applied design research is, hoe het toe te passen en wat je ervan kunt verwachten.@en