DESIGN

Often research becomes a search for inspiration rather than a productive exercise in gathering and organising relevant information. Not that inspiration isn’t important of course, but good research bolsters successful and effective visual communication beyond just looking good. In this article, I explore a number of methods that can be used to develop a reliable and replicable framework for researching design briefs. I focus on secondary rather than primary research in this article as primary research comes with its own methods and ethical requirements.

In the digital age, it’s easy to forget about the power of pencil and paper. But for designers, these simple tools can be incredibly valuable for generating fresh and original ideas.