DE7031 - Research Through Design

In this common module, you will learn about the application of research principles through contemporary spatial design processes and creative influences on design through the School of Design’s extended studio approach (X-Studio). This embraces our physical studios and making workshops as well as our virtual spaces to create a flexible and rich environment that is responsive to our learners’ needs.

You will be introduced to a range of research typologies and methods that are appropriate for investigating the interior and spatial environment. These will support and develop processes that form appropriate research questions and research processes that are flexible and support a viable and sustainable topic of study. This will be supported through a lecture series and seminar programme that will be structured throughout the module and support individual and Team-based working. The individual focus and content of subsequent seminar sessions will be specifically tailored to centre the explicit concerns, projects and strategies of contemporary spatial and interior design and ensure that these are related to wider academic concerns. This will enable you to shape the format and subject of discussion most relevant to your areas of research interest (individually and collectively) facilitating dynamic dialogue and active cross-pollination of experiences, approaches and ideas with this module and the other modules on the course.

You will be supported by a team of academic experts in scheduled timetabled lectures and seminars and will have the opportunity to discuss your ideas and methods through project supervision. You will engage in a rich reflective dialogue with tutors (and fellow students) and receive feedback on ongoing work giving you the opportunity to respond directly and as part of your process. You will keep a record of this feedback in order to progress your work to enhance both your skills and intellectual understanding and also to develop your Portfolio and PDJ.



The Masters programme curriculum has been developed to capitalise on the extensive, active and well-defined research emphasis of the School and channel this expertise to support your development in line with your PDJ through a range of expert lectures, postgraduate seminars and (supervised) project supervision delivered on campus and by distance learning. The E-Learning Portal provides important learning resources for both campus-based and distance learning students and many lectures and seminars are recorded through BB Collaborate and Panopto so that students can review their content after the event.

ESAP support is integrated with the programme and aims to develop study skills to support students achievement of module learning outcomes.

Where appropriate, students may also be directed to engage with Study Skills +, or other resources offered through the University Student Support Services such as Dyslexia Support. The Library is open 24 hours a day and E-Learning Portal houses all your module documents including your timetable. These services can be accessed on a range of devices.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:

1) Demonstrate scholarship in masters level research through a comprehensive contextual design research in the fields of research methods/ principles relevant to contemporary Interior, Spatial and Environmental practice (case studies).

2) Develop your personal interpretation of design theory and develop personal insights relevant to your field of practice.


Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

1) Demonstrate the application of knowledge/ theory/ methods (as described in KU) in the context of your Interior, Spatial and Environmental creative practice.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

1) Critically review and reflect on the application, utility and limitations of creative thinking, contemporary influences on design and research methods knowledge you have applied and the impact of this knowledge on your practice.

You will prepare an annotated portfolio of design work that shows evidence of contextual design research, applied theory, and contemporary design methods to realise and articulate personal design practice in the spatial field (through literature review, case studies and written commentary 2000w).

1) Research methods and principles

2) Contemporary responsible design practice

3) Evidence of existing (spatial and interior design) theory


Understanding and application of this knowledge including evaluation and possible recommendations is expected. In combination with the work developed with DE7032/LD7217 Responsible Design Practice Research the plan for the Personal and professional Development Journal (PDJ) will be compiled, providing detail for the area of inquiry for the discipline, specific modules, and DE7003/LD7046 Project/Thesis (60 credits).

The module will be marked as Pass/Fail. This module is exempt from the Anonymous Marking Policy. The nature of working closely and directly with the students in workshops makes anonymity unfeasible.

Formative assessment will take place at 2 staged points and through ongoing dialogue in group work, project supervision, assignment discussions and tutorials throughout the course of the module.

Summative feedback will be provided to students on a module assessment sheet against the module learning outcomes.

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The module introduces you to a range of research, typologies and methods that are appropriate to investigate the spatial, environmental and interior contexts. These will support the selection of appropriate research methods and help orientate a focus of special typology. This module will help you develop and select generic, design-orientated and discipline-specific methods that enable insight and appropriate research questions and research processes that are flexible and support a viable and sustainable topic of study. This will be supported through a lecture series and seminar programme that will be structured throughout the module and support individual and team-based working. The individual focus and content of subsequent seminar sessions will be specifically tailored to centre the explicit empathic concerns and project strategies of contemporary spatial design, ensuring that these relate to wider academic concerns. It is anticipated that the methods introduced and selected in this module will be used through the discipline specific modules on each programme and in the final dissertation.