Research Methods for Product Design (Portfolio Skills Product Design)

I'm surprised that no one has reviewed this book previously-- I bought a copy when it was published, nearly two years ago, and have referred to it frequently for ideas and reminders. The authors have compiled a thorough overview of more than 50 specific research methods that can be applied by students, teachers, and practitioners of product design, and many of the methods are relevant to systems design and service design contexts also.The methodologies are organized in practical categories (chapters) with titles like "Looking," "Asking," "Making," and "Testing." The opening chapter is a succinct explanation of and argument for the importance of conducting iterative (recurring) research as an element of product design, and the final chapter focuses on effectively communicating the results of one's research. Each chapter ends with two brief (2-page) case studies that explain how companies like Ideo, Adidas, and Dyson use research to assist "real world" product design. Also appended to each chapter are two tutorials (again, 2 pages each), covering a few more details of selected research techniques, such as "How to conduct an ethnographic study" and "How to write a great questionnaire."While the tutorials won't help a raw beginner to master a technique, they are excellent starting points. If used in conjunction with other, more detailed resources (or in a classroom with support from an instructor), these tutorials-- as well as the other descriptions of research methods-- should help designers avoid common errors and establish positive starting points for useful research.This book is not, in my view, a stand-alone replacement for a comprehensive research methods class... but as the authors point out, "research methods are a somewhat neglected subject" in some undergraduate design curricula. Therefore, I appreciate that Professors Milton and Rodgers have assembled this informative and readable explanation of numerous research techniques. They achieved their goal of providing "comprehensive, relevant, and visually rich insight into the world of research methods" and I hope their text will inspire many students of design (and working designers) to seek even deeper understanding of the benefits of product and audience research.

This has been a great resource over the years. I was borrowing this from a coworker and he is moving on. Purchased for myself and that sparked me to add a review.While we all sort of know the basic research methods after being in a product development environment for a while, it still is helpful to reflect back on some of the tried and true methods that are outlined in this book. It reads like a useful professional guide, not a textbook. Practical and applicable, which is what I look for in every business resource.

Thanks to Milton and Rodgers for documenting and illuminating the research process, tools, techniques and data analysis methods for the New Market Offering (NMO) process. The case studies and tutorials are spot on. This book helps bring the exploration/ideation process alive for students. A welcome edition to the armoury of trainers/teachers, coaches, mentors and do'ers involved in the 'innovation' game, especially those advocating 'design thinking' as a philosophy/approach.When is the 2nd edition coming out? This book was published in 2013.

Great book for product design and development, or any other design practice The chapters are well organized, with examples, pictures and case studies. As a design instructor I use it on a regular basis. I would highly recommend it!

Excellent

Excellent!! :)

I think that the author may confuse between the research and design method. All of the content that they wrote is the design method. The research method is different such as qualitative and quantitative method. We can look at the goal of research and design method. If the goal is to find the solution, artefact or product, it calls the design method. On the other hand, the research method goal is to proof the knowledge or generate a new knowledge.

As the other, more comprehensive reviewer has noted, this book is not really stand-alone book on it's own with regard to research methodology for product / industrial design.What this book details is HOW to conduct the different research methodologies: shadowing, product autopsy, prototyping etc... It goes into a moderate enough depth into each category that this book can be used as a reference.I believe this book is a bit lacking on WHEN each research methodology should be used and WHAT is the best/recommended research methodology at each stage of the product design cycle. The case studies are somewhat helpful if one were to read them 1-3 times over and think the subject through. You may be able to glean some information on WHY a particular research methodology was used.But I think the biggest issue I had with this book is that I found it particularly difficult to read--and I've read way too many Engineering textbooks than I care to admit. It may be a difficulty in wording/translation, but I think that there is some useful information in this book, I just don't particularly like the style of writing that this information I found to be implied rather than spelled out in front of the reader in a step-by-step how-to method instead.

Admittedly I've only skimmed through the book as it a reference book but it does cover all that you'd need to product conception, design and development. It spends a lot of time going through the processes needed to determine if a product concept is viable. I bought it as peripheral reading to a design module I'll be doing with the OU.

The book is part of the mandatory curriculum in my design degree and for good reason. If you want to know how to make better products by researching and understanding peoples needs vs. their wants this is the book to guide you.

Gift for someone doing design degree. It was well recieved.

Bought for someone on a deign course - what they wanted / needed

present appreciated