Actions and Reflections: Bridging the Skills Gap among Researchers

Key Insights

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  Research teams with limited experience often overemphasize scientific rigor, hindering learning compared to design teams.

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  Designers use a more flexible notion of rigor based on intuition, feelings, and real-time collaboration.

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  Stolterman’s concept of design rigor is better suited to the complexity of design research than strict scientific rigor.

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  Schön’s knowing-in-action highlights intuition and reflection as core to developing professional skill and rigor.

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  Reflection-in-action is a five-step process helping practitioners improve their intuition through surprise and experimentation.

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  Dewey emphasizes learning by doing and demonstrating, not just verbal instruction, as essential for effective skill transfer.

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  Yohael’s Three Rs framework (Recount, Relate, Reframe) structures reflection on intuition in research practice.

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  Pair research and 1:1 sessions incorporating demonstration and imitation improve learning and confidence in research teams.

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  The perceived discrepancy between research and design team performance was due more to learning practices than stakeholder bias.

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  Inclusive learning frameworks can reduce impostor syndrome and expand access to design research beyond traditional academic pedigrees.

Notable Quotes