DTM Past, Present, and Future: Reflections on and by the Design Theory and Methodology Research Community

Abstract

This paper describes the results of an agenda-setting panel session that took place at the 2021 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences organized by the Design Theory and Methodology (DTM) research community. While the state of design research in engineering design has advanced tremendously in the last thirty-five years since the formation of the DTM community, reflecting on the successes and challenges faced by this community revealed several key directions and opportunities that this community is well positioned to take. Namely, panelists and audience members in the session identified five new agenda items that have the potential to further strengthen research on Design Theory and Methodology: 1) Ethics, Equity, and Justice-focused design research, 2) Design for Sustainability research programs, and 3) Research on Computational Agents as team members in the design process,4) Building new theories from research conducted on Design Theory and Methodology, and 5) Focus on inclusive excellence in the review process of new and cross-disciplinary research. These agenda items as well as reflections on the history and legacy of the Design Theory and Methodology research community on the evolution of design research more broadly are discussed in this paper. The results of the panel session provide directions for next-generation design theory and methodology research that is effective, inclusive, and impactful.