2023: Applied Design Research in Living Labs and other Experimental Learning and Innovation Environments

Experimental learning and innovation environments, such as living labs, field labs, and urban innovation labs, provide spaces where actors can collaborate on societal challenges. What role can design researchers play in this process, and what challenges do they face? NADR was looking for dilemmas that may include balancing open and closed environments, managing the tension between safe spaces and the real world, and navigating the relationship between physical and virtual realities.

The call for contributions issued by NADR in April 2023 was focused on the roles and contributions of Applied Design Researchers within experimental learning and innovation environments, such as living labs, field labs, and urban innovation labs. These environments connect multiple stakeholders to envision, create, experiment, learn, and test novel responses to societal challenges. The call sought to explore:

1. The roles Applied Design Researchers can play in such multi-stakeholder learning environments.
2. The unique contributions of ‘design’ and ‘applied design research’ and how to deliver on those promises.
3. The methods and approaches used by Applied Design Researchers in these contexts.
4. The challenges, dilemmas, and best practices encountered by applied design researchers in these environments.

The contributions aimed to link theoretical insights with practical experiences, emphasizing the role of applied design research. Additionally, a matchmaking session in May was mentioned as an opportunity to strengthen these aspects. Contributions could address one or more of the following dilemmas: Open or Closed?, Safe-zone or Real-life?,  Physical or Virtual places?,  Small or Big?, Transformation or Generically Applicable?, Fixed or Fluid Roles?, Disciplines or Indisciplines?

Scroll down for all dilemma's and more information about these topics.

Publication expected in October 2024. The final texts are currently with Taylor and Francis for publication. The Open Access publication is expected to be available worldwide in October 2024.

Dilemmas of Applied Design Research in Living Labs and other Experimental Learning and Innovation Environments:

1. Open or Closed? How do we balance the need for focus, planning, and certainty with the necessity for flexibility, freedom, and dynamic partner engagement? How can we navigate these opposing needs?

2. Safe-zone or Real-life? Are experimental environments more effective as temporary, bounded safe zones for shaping ideas, or do they need to directly effect real-world change? How can we transition between these modes?

3. Physical or Virtual Places? Should experimental environments have a physical location and persist over time, or can they be virtual or hybrid spaces—mental or digital—where experiments take place?

4. Small or Big? Is a larger scale always better for an experimental environment, or are smaller, more intimate settings preferable? How do we determine the ideal size, duration, and group composition?

5. Transformation or Generically Applicable? Should responses to societal challenges be adopted in the form they are created, aiming for transformational adoption, or should they remain generically applicable?

6. Fixed or Fluid Roles? How do participants manage different roles, interests, knowledge, and power within experimental environments? What dilemmas arise between design and research? How do we balance responsible roles, individuals, and collectives in designing, researching, and experimenting?

7. Discipline or Indiscipline? How do designers and other intellectual traditions interact within living labs? Is design the leading force or a catalyst? What other skills are necessary? Is a living lab a method, a methodology, or just a starting point?