美国工业设计实地考察概述-2-19-34-15-6-4.pdf

Joining Forces | University of Art and Design Helsinki | September 22-24, 2005 B I G I D E A S : A H I S T O R Y O F F I E L D R E S E A R C H I N I N D U S T R I A L D E S I G N I N T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S James Arnold, The Ohio State University, USA Since the beginnings of the industrial design profession designers have had the option of conducting their own field research and have been influenced by other professions such as: marketing, human factors, and the social sciences. Until recently, a minority of industrial designers have been conducting field research as part of the design process. This paper, condensed from a larger study, describes how field research has been conducted since 1955 in the United States and is of benefit to those in practice and academic settings. Comprehensive historical accounts of this subject, until now, were nonexistent. The conclusions of this paper reveal four significant issues. First, field research was practiced through several distinct eras. Second, field research has grown from obscurity into a sophisticated and standardized practice, and it continues to grow in popularity for business and user benefit reasons. Third, barriers exist that prevent adoption of field research methods. Fourth, a shift from art/intuitive based design to research based design is occurring; representing a growth area for industrial design practice and education. Field research is a general term that can be used to describe many different kinds of research activity that bring the designer (or design team members) into direct contact with the customer. Many disciplines, including industrial design, refer to f