What is the Researchable Question?

Session Organizer: Meredith Davis, NC State University | PDF

Jamie Gray, Kansas City Art Institute

Deborah Littlejohn, NC State University

How we define what is worth doing in design research will chart the path for those who follow. Framing researchable questions is a skill that begins at the graduate level and matures under university research faculty. What constitutes a researchable question? How is it different from a practice-based design challenge? What does it tell the researcher about next steps? This session will address the essential qualities of researchable questions and how they frame inquiry in design.