Good research drives great design (Landor Perspectives 2010)

"Good research properly applied can be a designer's best friend" is the claim of Susan Nelson and Mary Zalla from Landor Associates, who suggest ways of getting the most from design research.

Good research drives great design

Susan Nelson and Mary Zalla Landor Perspectives 2010

The Tropicana “orange and straw” debacle is well on Its way to becoming a classic example of redesign gone wrong. The lesson is simple but profound: Good designers always remember that they are designing for real people, not for their firms, themselves, or even their clients. This means that design and consumer research are inextricably linked.

Design, at its core, is an empathetic undertaking. Unlike art, which springs from the artist's need for self-expression, design is always for someone else. Both are creative, innovative, and original....

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