What is the Researchable Question?

Session Organizer: Meredith Davis, NC State University | PDF

Jamie Gray, Kansas City Art Institute

Deborah Littlejohn, NC State University

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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.