Design as a scientific discipline?

The positioning of design as a scientific discipline has been promoted by universities all over the world in recent decades. The Faculty of Design at THWS has taken these developments into account by closely interlinking teaching and research. Following recognised design-therotic approaches, research has been established through design and research with design. Since 2018, the book series Würzburger Beiträge zur Designforschung has published selected works from the Master’s degree course Design and Information together with guest contributions by renowned design scientists.

What is design research?

In an iterative design process, theoretical, reflexive and critical ways of thinking are deepened, inter- and transdisciplinary methods from reference sciences are applied and integrated into the design process. Here, too, the work of design plays a constitutive role in the research process. On the basis of methodically controlled research, the result is a design that has epistemic content and offers a theoretical and practical added value. The draft (and its implementation) has a kind of visual-argumentative quality.

Three-phase model

The three-phase model based on Beat Schneider (Schneider 2006), which serves as a guideline for research projects in design, provides orientation. It represents the self-image of the Faculty of Design, which is an educational institution committed to professionalism, innovation, responsibility, tolerance and a future worth living.