Throughout the semester, my design research journey was shaped by ongoing reflection, feedback, and iteration. I engaged in structured reflection moments with peers, teachers, and participants—each offering valuable perspectives that helped refine both my methods and design outcomes.
Peer & Mentor Feedback
I had multiple one-on-one reflection meetings with design teachers Raul Martinez Orozco and Manon Mostert-van der Sar. These conversations played an important role in the development of my approach:
- Raul supported me in selecting and refining appropriate design research methods. His insights helped ground my experiments in concrete research strategies and increased the clarity of my methodological framing.
- Manon encouraged me to think more associatively and imaginatively, which opened up space to take creative risks and move beyond traditional design formats.
Her perspective resonates with the ideas from Hey Teacher, Find Your Inner Designer (Mostert, 2019), where she advocates for a mindset of experimentation, ownership, and creative inquiry—qualities I actively brought into my process.
Their guidance aligns with the emphasis on designer reflexivity in socially engaged design, where reflection is not a closing stage but an integrated part of the design cycle (Harbers, 2021).
Class-Based Reflection
In our Semester 3 design research classes, we reflected as a group on our evolving prototypes and processes. I received direct feedback from classmates on how to improve the phrasing of content, the use of accessible symbols, and how to translate narrative examples into tactile puzzles—a suggestion that eventually led to using a laser cutter for physical prototyping.
These moments reflect what Binder et al. (2011) describe as the importance of “design conversations”, where co-reflection becomes a form of knowledge production in itself.
User Testing and Feedback
My immediate colleagues were generous in testing early versions of both my puzzle game and board game. Their feedback gave me valuable insight into:
- The clarity and difficulty of gameplay
- The attractiveness and engagement of the game elements
- The emotional response evoked by simulating the experience of illiteracy
This feedback helped me iteratively adjust the games—not only in terms of mechanics, but also in how they foster empathy and reflection in players.
Conclusion
This semester showed me that design research is as much about process as it is about outcome. The reflections I received—formal and informal—helped me continuously realign my work with my research goals. Literature, mentors, and peers all pushed me to see that effective socially engaged design happens through dialogue, iteration, and critical empathy.
Literature
Harbers, M., Ethisch Ontwerpen: Mensgerichte Keuzes in Digitale Ontwikkeling, Kenniscentrum Creating010, (2021).
Mostert, M., Hey Teacher, Find Your Inner Designer, January 2019.
Binder, T., Brandt, E., Ehn, P., & Halse, J., Design Things, MIT Press, (2011).
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