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The Network Applied Design Research (NADR ) is the national platform for research groups focusing on applied design research

network applied design research

platform for professionalisation and dissemination of applied design research

Network Applied Design Research (NADR ) is the national platform for research groups focusing on applied design research. Founded in 2015, NADR is a network of some 30 professors associated with 15 universities of applied sciences. The defining characteristic of NADR is the collaboration of researchers with different areas of knowledge and application, crossing the boundaries of various disciplines. NADR researchers focus on issues within the healthcare, construction, energy, food and agriculture, retail, hospitality, media, and textiles sectors. In all these sectors, they deploy applied design research, expecting that this approach can help provide answers to the complex challenges in these sectors. The NADR researchers want to share their experiences among themselves, in order to raise the collective level of knowledge regarding applied design research. This involves both applying and validating existing knowledge and developing and disseminating new methodological knowledge.

applied design research

what are effective methods to integrate design and research in various contexts?

NADR connects professors, researchers, teachers, and designers interested in applied design research. NADR’s central theme is the methodological approach to combining design and research, in any possible variant. This means NADR is interested in Research Through Design, Research For Design as well as Research Into Design. The distinguishing characteristic of NADR is the collaboration of researchers representing a wide variety of application areas. Because of this broad perspective, design methodologies are not only investigated in one specific application area, but rather in several different domains. By linking knowledge and experience from different sectors, methodological expertise can further develop, resulting in a greater impact of applied design research.

the design professional

design professionals work at design agencies and within creative innovation departments of companies, social organizations or government

Intended audience for NADR’s expertise is the design professional. For instance working at a product or service design agency, at an creative innovation department of a company, or at a social organisation or government. By deploying applied design research, the design professional aims to tackle complex issues in close cooperation with stakeholders. For instance by deploying a co-creation approach to improve the processes in healthcare, or deploying civic prototyping and actively involving citizens in increasing the liveability of their surroundings. To promote cooperation with professional practice, NADR has a practitioners’ council with representatives from the field. In this way, NADR aims to further develop into a leading knowledge network in the field of applied design research.

research themes

by engaging in an annual knowledge cycle, network members exchange experience and insights

NADR employs an annual knowledge cycle in which each year features its own research theme. Based on this theme, members of the network exchange knowledge and experience. The results of these discussions are captured in joint publications that are presented during the annual NADR symposium, which also serves as the starting point of the next annual knowledge cycle. The 2023 annual cycle focused on the deployment of applied design research within Living Labs and other Experimental Learning and Innovation Environments. The 2024 annual cycle focuses on the Societal Impact of Applied Design Research.