Research Guides: A Guide to Interior Design Research: Developing a Program

What is a Program?

Programming is a process during which information about a problem is collected, analyzed, and clearly stated to provide a basis for design.
It defines a problem before a solution is attempted.
Programming is problem analysis whereas design is problem synthesis.

Defining a Problem

Identifying current industry trends is an important part of defining your topic and problem.

Trends may include*:

Aging in place
Antropometry
Barrier-free design
Biomimicry
Business of design
Corporate design
Environmental behavior
Ergonomics
Facilities planning
Green/sustainable design
Healthcare design
Historic preservation and restoration
Hospitality design
Human factors
Institutional design
Lighting design
Modularity/impermanence
Museum and exhibit design
Residential design
Resiliency
Retail design
Set design
Universal design
Way-finding methods

*Botti-Salitsky, R. (2017). Programming & research : Skills and techniques for interior designers (Second ed.).

Questions to consider:

What is the problem?
Why is it worth investigating and learning about?
What opportunities exist within this problem?
Have others tried to solve this problem?
What is the scope of the problem (including sub-problems)?
What are the limitations of the problem?

Locating Case Studies

A case study is a research strategy that uses "an empirical inquiry that investigates a phenomenon or setting" in its real life context; it is an in-depth study of an instance, event, or situation.

When you compare more than one case study, it's called comparative case study research. You may identify themes when engaging with multiple examples and cases.

Building Green
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Inhabitat
Inhabitat is a forum for investigating emerging trends in product, interior, and architectural design. The site is devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future.

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Locating Theory & Interdisciplinary Research

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Additional Resources

Programming and Research by Rose Mary Botti-Salitsky
ISBN: 9781628929546
Publication Date: 2017-04-20
Programming and Research: Skills and Techniques for Interior Designers provides a step-by-step approach to mastering the process of documenting client and user requirements for any design project. Replete with examples and analyses of student and professional work, this book guides its readers through the creation of their own program documents. Both the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) and the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) consider programming a required core of knowledge. Programming and Research focuses on how the study of programming for interior designers prepares students for and advances them into the professional realm.This second edition is updated with the latest information interior designers must be equipped with, including new coverage on evidence-based design, integrated project delivery (IPD), building information modeling (BIM), design across disciplines, LEED programming, designing on a budget, and time management.
Interior Design Visual Presentation by Maureen Mitton
ISBN: 0471225525
Publication Date: 2003-07-28
Interior Design Visual Presentation, Second Edition is fully revised to include the latest material on CAD, digital portfolios, resume preparation, and Web page design.
Idea Searching for Design by David Bramston; YeLi YeLi
ISBN: 9781472581969
Publication Date: 2016-07-14
The second edition of Idea Searching examines methods of generating and identifying ideas, and teaches you to understand what is being observed and recorded. Using lavish illustrations, concise case studies and practical examples, it explores how different experiences, contexts and references are important in identifying an idea that is appropriate for a particular individual, target audience or culture.