Research-led practice in design research used to best demonstrate design theories

There is contention in the design research community surrounding the legitimacy of industrial design practice used in design research in academia. This study claims that research-led practice in design research within the context of universities through industry-sponsored projects is deserving of scholarly recognition. It can be argued that research-led practice in design research provides a platform for demonstrating the applicability of design theories in practice. Design practice is inspired and directed by research where concepts generated through industrial design practice provide evidence that research-led industrial design practice has the ability to generate a new body of knowledge. It is the research that informs decisions concerning the design process; and by default informing practice of ‘research-led industrial design practice’. To substantiate this, two research-led industrial design practice case studies from Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia are highlighted to show how design theories are used in practice to benefit industries separate to academic environments.