Situated Design Methods

‘Situated Design Methods’ is a book that many of our design-oriented students has asked for – they asked for a good, research based book about how to make design-oriented projects in their humanistic-technological field. 24 researchers from Roskilde University’s strategic research initiative Designing Human Technologies took the challenge of this demand and wrote the book. The book – along with the previous book, Design Research (Routledge, 2010) has been of utmost importance for the strategic research initiative in establishing a shared ‘language’ and platform for establishing and strengthen a common design-oriented research identity at Roskilde University.
The book introduces design methods across disciplines and fields, has a transdisciplinary approach and argues that situatedness is a premise for design. The book contains a collection of 18 different methods for participatory and design-oriented projects with the aim of supporting processes of collaboration, for creation of aesthetic experiences and for improving increased sustainability.
MIT Press’ senior editor wrote about the book:
- “This is going to be a superb book and I fully expect it to have lasting impact.”
- “It’s a perfect fit for the Press and the Design Thinking series.”
The anonymous international reviewers wrote about the book:
- “I have been aware of and appreciated the work of the people at Roskilde University […] for a long time. Their unique experimental attitude both toward curricula and how to construct successful interdisciplinary activities has an international reputation, one justified in my view.”
- “I particularly trust the basing of such views in the tradition of Participatory Design, a form of design in relation to which Roskilde scholars have made a substantial contribution.”
- “To the best of my knowledge, it is original.”
- “[P]roviding the breadth and coverage that have not previously been presented in the design field.”
- “Its originality and scholarship are important in the way it will offer a breadth not currently available.”