Short answer

When designing tools or systems for designers, consider that they will approach different information formats (digital vs. physical, structured vs. unstructured) with different expectations and behaviors, and that their personal preferences will heavily guide their engagement.

Field
Innovation & Design
Source
J of Design Research (2008)
Method
Mixed-methods research (interviews and experimental protocol)
Evidence
Moderate effect

Designers utilize traditional and electronic information resources differently, with their personal preferences significantly shaping their information gathering strategies during the early stages of the design process. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2008 study published in J of Design Research. Using Mixed-methods research (interviews and experimental protocol), researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing tools or systems for designers, consider that they will approach different information formats (digital vs. physical, structured vs. unstructured) with different expectations and behaviors, and that their personal preferences will heavily guide their engagement.

Study
Innovation & DesignHigh ImpactModerate effect

Designer information gathering strategies are influenced by resource type and personal preference

Designers utilize traditional and electronic information resources differently, with their personal preferences significantly shaping their information gathering strategies during the early stages of the design process.

J of Design Research · 2008

01

Key Findings

  • 01Traditional and electronic resources are not used in the same way by designers.
  • 02Information gathering strategies are strongly influenced by designers' preferences.
02

Application

Design takeaway

When designing tools or systems for designers, consider that they will approach different information formats (digital vs. physical, structured vs. unstructured) with different expectations and behaviors, and that their personal preferences will heavily guide their engagement.

How to apply

When developing a new design tool or platform, conduct user research to understand how target users gather inspiration and what their preferred methods are. Design the system to seamlessly integrate with or support these varied strategies.

Project actions

  • 01When researching how users find information for a design project, ask about their preferred sources (e.g., websites, books, talking to people).
  • 02Observe how users interact with different types of information to see if there are patterns in their behavior.
03

Method & Evidence

AimTo identify and evaluate the inspirational information used by designers before idea generation and to describe how this information is utilized.
MethodMixed-methods research (interviews and experimental protocol)
ProcedureThe study involved two parts: first, interviews were conducted with professional designers to understand their general approaches to information gathering. Second, an experimental protocol was used to observe and analyze their specific behaviors when seeking and using inspirational information.
ContextProfessional design practice, focusing on the initial stages of the design process.

Variables

IV["Type of information resource (traditional vs. electronic)","Designer's personal preference"]
DV["Information gathering strategies","Utilization of inspirational information"]
CV["Design task","Designer's professional experience"]
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Combines qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (experimental) methods.
  • +Focuses on a critical but often under-researched phase of the design process.

Limitations

The sample size might be small, and the types of designers or design fields studied could limit the generalizability of the findings.

Reliability & validity

The use of interviews provides rich qualitative data, while the experimental protocol allows for more controlled observation. However, the sample size and specific context may affect generalizability and thus external validity.

Think critically

How might the increasing prevalence of AI-driven content generation tools further alter designers' information gathering strategies and preferences?

05

Design Principles

"Design support systems should be flexible and adaptable to individual user preferences and diverse information interaction styles."

Understanding how designers source and process inspiration is crucial for developing effective design tools and workflows. Recognizing the influence of resource type and individual preference allows for more tailored support systems that can genuinely enhance creativity rather than hinder it.

06

What This Means for Your Design

Designers use different kinds of information sources in different ways, and what they like best really changes how they look for inspiration.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Reference this study when discussing how your design project's target users gather information or inspiration, especially if your project involves digital tools or resources.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

Research indicates that designers' information gathering strategies are significantly influenced by both the type of resource (traditional vs. electronic) and their personal preferences. This suggests that design support tools should be adaptable to accommodate these varied approaches to inspiration sourcing.

09

Source

J of Design Research

Inspiration, images and design: an investigation of designers' information gathering strategies

journal · 2008

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about designer information gathering strategies are influenced by resource type and personal preference?
When designing tools or systems for designers, consider that they will approach different information formats (digital vs. physical, structured vs. unstructured) with different expectations and behaviors, and that their personal preferences will heavily guide their engagement. Evidence: J of Design Research (2008).
Why does "Designer information gathering strategies are influenced by resource type and personal preference" matter for design?
Understanding how designers source and process inspiration is crucial for developing effective design tools and workflows. Recognizing the influence of resource type and individual preference allows for more tailored support systems that can genuinely enhance creativity rather than hinder it.
How can designers apply this research?
When designing tools or systems for designers, consider that they will approach different information formats (digital vs. physical, structured vs. unstructured) with different expectations and behaviors, and that their personal preferences will heavily guide their engagement.
What were the main findings?
Traditional and electronic resources are not used in the same way by designers.. Information gathering strategies are strongly influenced by designers' preferences.
What research method was used?
Mixed-methods research (interviews and experimental protocol).
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2008 journal from J of Design Research.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When developing a new design tool or platform, conduct user research to understand how target users gather inspiration and what their preferred methods are. Design the system to seamlessly integrate with or support these varied strategies.
What are the limitations?
The study's findings might be specific to the professional designers interviewed and the particular design domains they work in. The experimental protocol may not fully capture the nuances of real-world, unconstrained design exploration.