Designers use interviews, surveys, and material testing to collect original evidence directly from users, stakeholders, and physical materials. These primary research methods help designers identify requirements, develop a design specification, and justify design decisions.
How Each Method Works
Primary research is evidence collected first-hand for a specific design problem. It differs from secondary research, which uses existing sources such as books, databases, product reviews, or manufacturers’ specifications.
| Method | Evidence collected | Use in the design process |
|---|---|---|
| Interviews | Detailed qualitative data about users’ experiences, needs, preferences, and difficulties | Open questions and follow-up questions allow the designer to investigate why a problem occurs. Interviews are useful for building user profiles and identifying requirements, but a small sample may not represent the whole target market. |
| Surveys | Qualitative and quantitative data from a larger sample, such as preferences, ratings, or frequency of use | Standardized questions make responses easier to compare and may reveal patterns. However, leading questions, unclear wording, and an unrepresentative sample can reduce validity. |
| Material testing | Measured evidence about properties such as strength, flexibility, hardness, durability, or water resistance | Controlled tests allow designers to compare candidate materials against measurable specification criteria. Variables and testing conditions should remain consistent so that results are reliable. |
For example, a designer developing a reusable lunch container might interview students about leakage and portability, survey a larger group about preferred capacity, and test polymers for impact resistance and water absorption. Combining these methods produces triangulation: evidence from different sources can be compared to support stronger conclusions.
A common misconception is that material testing is secondary research because published material data already exist. Consulting a database is secondary research; physically conducting and recording a new test is primary research.
Exam Technique
For IB Design Technology subtopic B2.1 The design process, do more than list methods. Explain what evidence each method produces, identify one strength or limitation, and show how the findings inform user requirements, the design specification, concept development, or evaluation.
