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SUMMARY:Methodological Diversity in Design Fixation Research - Dr Nathan C
 rilly is a Senior Lecturer in Engineering Design at the University of Camb
 ridge. 
DTSTART:20191023T153000Z
DTEND:20191023T170000Z
UID:TALK130000@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Ann Waterman
DESCRIPTION:Design fixation occurs when designers' prior experiences limit
  their imagination\, leading to a restricted interpretation of the design 
 problem or the repetition of prior solutions. As a research area focusing 
 on human behaviour it is unusually restricted in its methodological choice
 s\, primarily adopting an experimental approach\, much of which follows th
 e example set by studies conducted in the 1990s. This gives rise to concer
 ns that design researchers are themselves fixated\, unduly repeating a pri
 or solution (a method to study a phenomenon) and exhibiting a restricted i
 nterpretation of the problem (what that phenomenon is). The low level of m
 ethodological diversity limits our ability to interpret the relevance of p
 rior work\, plan new studies and impact practice. Where researchers in oth
 er disciplines have made similar observations\, there have been calls for 
 change\, the barriers to change have been identified and the routes to ove
 rcome those barriers have been proposed. Some of those arguments make two 
 points that are especially relevant for fixation research: (1) that resear
 ch is a creative activity which can be framed and approached as a design p
 roject\, and (2) that academic disciplines should apply their own domain k
 nowledge to better understand how their disciplines are behaving and how t
 hey should behave. In the case of design fixation research\, these two poi
 nts overlap and yet that seemingly hasn't stopped the community who study 
 design fixation from exhibiting behaviour that their own research (and als
 o research into how research is done) would warn against. This talk will a
 ddress these issues with the hope of encouraging discussion and debate\, n
 ot just about design fixation research but also other research topics.
LOCATION: Donald McIntyre Building\, Faculty of Education\, 184 Hills Road
 \, room GS1
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