Episode Details

If you want to design logos and identities that succeed in the real world you must truly understand the business, competition and target audience. To understand that you need to make research part of your design process. The information you gather will ensure you have a thorough understanding of the problem you need to solve, so design decisions can be made with intent. Not only will your designs perform well but you’ll also get faster approvals and a greater level of trust from your clients too.

To discuss the value of research and the methods used Ian Paget interviews Jenn and Ken Viscoky O’Grady, the authors of the book A Designers Research Manual. Jenn is a Professor at Cleveland State University, and Ken is Professor and Graduate Coordinator at Kent State University.

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• A Designers Research Manual – Buy on Amazon UK | Amazon US
• Jenn & Kens website www.visockyogrady.com
• The list of books Ken recommends to his grad students:
  • The Strategic Designer by David Holston – Buy on Amazon UK | Amazon US
  • 101 Design Methods: A Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in Your Organisation by Vijay Kumar – Buy on Amazon UK | Amazon US
  • Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behaviour by Indi Young – Buy on Amazon UK | Amazon US
  • Card Sorting: Designing Usable Categories by Donna Spencer – Buy on Amazon UK | Amazon US
  • Universal Methods of Design:100 Ways to Research Complex Problems, Develop Innovative Ideas, and Design Effective Solutions by Bruce Hanington, Bella Martin – Buy on 

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