Universal Methods of Design: 100 Ways to Research Complex Problems, Develop Innovative Ideas, and Design Effective Solutions

Bruce Hanington · Bella Martin

2012-02 · Rockport Publishers

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This comprehensive reference provides a thorough and critical presentation of 100 research methods, synthesis/analysis techniques, and research deliverables for human centered design, delivered in a concise and accessible format perfect for designers, educators, and students.
 
Universal Methods of Design serves as an invaluable compendium of methods that can be easily referenced and used by cross-disciplinary teams in nearly any design project.
 
Methods and techniques are organized alphabetically for ongoing, quick reference. Each method is presented in a two-page format. The left-hand page contains a concise description of the method, accompanied by references for further reading. On the right-hand page, images and cases studies for each method are presented visually. The relevant phases for design application are highlighted as numbered icons along the right side of the page, from phases 1 (planning) through 5 (launch and monitor).

Build more meaningful products with these methods and more: A/B Testing, Affinity Diagramming, Behavioral Mapping, Bodystorming, Contextual Design, Critical Incident Technique, Directed Storytelling, Flexible Modeling, Image Boards, Graffiti Walls, Heuristic Evaluation, Parallel Prototyping, Simulation Exercises, Touchstone Tours, and Weighted Matrix. 

This essential guide:

• Dismantles the myth that user research methods are complicated, expensive, and time-consuming
• Creates a shared meaning for cross-disciplinary design teams
• Illustrates methods with compelling visualizations and case studies
• Characterizes each method at a glance
• Indicates when methods are best employed to help prioritize appropriate design research strategies

Universal Methods of Design is an essential resource for designers of all levels and specializations.

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Bruce Hanington is a professor and head of the School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Prior to this, he was director of graduate studies, and program chair of industrial design. Bruce has dedicated his teaching and research to methods and practices for human centered design, with an emphasis on design ethnography, participatory design, and the meaning of form in context. In addition to working with industry partners through collaborative projects and executive education, his work has been published in Design Issues, The Design Journal, and Interactions, with chapters in Affective Sciences in Human Factors and Human-Computer Interaction and The Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Design.

Bella Martin is a Lead User Experience Researcher in Atlanta, Georgia. After contributing to award-winning design projects for Microsoft Research, the US Postal Service, GlaxoSmithKline, and Allstate Financial, she now invests much of her time working with organizations who are new to the methods of user-centered research, but eager to give their users a voice in the design process. Bella holds a Master of Design from Carnegie Mellon University, where she first began her ongoing work in visualizing user-centered research methods.