Page 39 - Graphic Design and Print Production Fundamentals

2.4 Research

Alex Hass

Step 2: Conduct Research

Gather and analyze information What else do you need to know? The information you collected in the
first stage is just a starting point — now you need to do more research in order to fine-tune your goals
and process. Check every assumption, ask more questions, and add detail.

Research practices may involve:

• Competitor analysis: analyzing the competition to see what they do and determine their
strengths and weaknesses

• Ethnographic research: observing user behaviour and culture
• Site research: observing and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of a space to
optimize the effectiveness of the design experience you will be creating; site research is
necessary to any design project that is situated in a built environment
• Marketing research: analyzing behaviour in terms of consumer practices, including
demographic profiling (grouping people based on variables such as age/income/ethnicity/
location to create profiles generally describing their thinking/behaviour)

• User testing: measuring the ability of the product or service to satisfy users’ needs
• Co-creation: inviting end-users to brainstorm solutions with the design team before the
concept phase of design begins

Incorporating Research into the Design Process

Research should be a part of all design process, but what kind of research is done, and who does it, will
be determined by the scope and budget of the project. Some information may be publicly available, for
example, through corporate publications or previously published marketing studies or market data, but a
design company may need to partner with a research firm in order to do targeted in-depth research.

At the very least, design research should include:

• A literature review (gathering and reviewing all existing material that is relevant to your
subject)
• Collected details (existing materials, corporate guidelines) of your client’s business and the
services the client offers

• Information on the target audience (What do they want? need? expect?)
• Analysis of competitors (Who are they? how are they different? how are they the same? how

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