Case Studies

Rockport Publishers, Inc.
A Designer’s Research Manual
by Jenn + Ken Visocky O’Grady

Research often the marks difference between a good design and a great design. By engaging in competitive intelligence, customer profiling, color and trend forecasting and other research methodologies, designers demonstrate commercial value for clients in a way a design artifact alone cannot. Although scientific and analytical in nature, research is the basis of all good design work. This book provides a comprehensive manual for designers on what design research is, why it is necessary, how to do it, and how to apply it to creative work. By embracing research methodologies, designers share a common vernacular with their clients. This not only ensures a viable role for designers in business; it raises the value of the designer, promoting innovators who deliver creative solutions and understand business needs. This is the first book to address this issue with a focus on both student and professional design audiences.