Design Research at the Crossroads of Education and Practice

This paper takes an experiential perspective in describing the current situation in design education and design practice as seen through the eyes of someone on the ground at the crosshairs between research and design in education and practice. The current situation is marked by the fact that practice leads education in the integration of research with design. The integration is going well. The biggest challenges are the incompatibilities between how design research is done in practice and how research takes place at the university. With the rise of sponsored projects in academia, the need for integration becomes imperative. The North American Design Research Organization (NADRO) aims to serve that need. The paper will conclude with actions that the newly formed NADRO can take to explore and cultivate the new design space between research and design in education and practice.