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Michael Eckersley, PhD

Five Steps To a Great Design Thesis 2.0

discover strategize develop documentresearch strategize develop document share

Thesis research

The master’s thesis is a product of research, analysis, and creative synthesis. It’s purpose is to document your research on a subject of some relevance to your field, and to communicate those insights, understandings, and original ideas that resulted from your study. Your MA in Design thesis at KU may take the form of a traditional scholarly paper, or a well documented design project. As the culmination of your master’s study, the thesis should should be substantial. It should matter both to you and to your chosen field of study.

You can think of your thesis, itself, as a design problem. Take the lead of Professor Vijay Kumar in his characterization of integrative or “design thinking”:

• Start from the point of people’s needs and experiences.• Think in relation to the system, not just the product or experience.• Use a disciplined process to study the context of what’s going on, identifying patterns and

frameworks, generating ideas, modeling solutions, validating the solution by prototyping, testing.

This is your study. You will have the support of a faculty thesis committee to help. Enjoy this unique opportunity of doing something meaningful and original.

– Michael EckersleyProfessor

September 2012

Intro

Thesis research

research strategize develop document share

1Explore a problem or opportunity of

relevance to you or the industry you

desire to work in. Look for insights

and ideas in the needs, wants, and

aspirations of people.

Bill Lucas on “Looking with care” http://vimeo.com/

12917849

“Design Research: Methods & Perspectives”, Laurel

“A Designer's Research Manual: Succeed in Design by Knowing Your Clients and What

They Really Need”, O'Grady

Research & Discoversources

Tips: • Explore subjects you have some familiarity with, or

can gain familiarity with.• Identify issues or problems relevant to your field.• Consider your topic in the context of what kind of

work you want to do in the future.• You can start your exploration anytime; you

needn’t wait to take ADS 890 or ADS 861

Thesis research

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Jeremy Alexis on Problem Framing www.vimeo.com/21770257

Strategizesources

Examine promising subjects and frame

each in a manner you can effectively

address. Your selected subject should

be drafted into a good, tight proposal,

and submitted to your committee for

feedback & approval.

Tip: What makes for a great thesis subject? Score your ideas using the questions below:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B36lum-QNuqxMTA5OGEyZDMtN2U5Yi00YmI3LWE2MmMtZG

IxNTAwNDIyZjE3&hl=en_US

Thesis Proposal Outline

Sample thesis proposals:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B36lum-QNuqxMzJiYzdkYTMtOTExYy00MGM3LTk4MjAtYT

E5NGI1YThmMjRj

Ricarda Miller

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B36lum-QNuqxNjIzNDg4Y2QtMzgzMC00N2MxLWJjZjAt

MzkyNmU5NDNhMmMz

Georgette Sullivan

Brian Smithhttps://docs.google.com/open?id=0B36lum-

QNuqxdldtYS1XdkJVWHc

1.Is the topic, or my approach to it, original? (1 low --- 5 high)2.Is it practically doable? (1 low --- 5 high)3.Does it create new value? (1 low --- 5 high)4.Could the outcome make a difference for people? (1 low --- 5 high)5.Does it pertain and contribute to my field? (1 low --- 5 high)6.Could it help advance my career? (1 low --- 5 high)7.Am I passionate about it? (1 low --- 5 high)

Thesis research

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Developsources

Your proposal green-lighted? Great,

now do the thing you proposed!

Research, analyze, problem-solve,

create. Test your ideas and validate

your design. Can prototype elicit

good feedback from your target

audience? Can you iterate it and

improve it?

Tips: • There are lots of research methods and techniques

available for you to develop your insights and ideas.

• Visually represent your insights and design ideas with models, maps, storyboards, scenarios, etc.

http://www.ideo.com/work/ideo-method-card-app/

Ideo techniques...

www.brainsbehavioranddesign.com/

Strategy approaches...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5FGeSQ7DBU&feature=related

Think prototype...

Thesis research

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Document

Tips: • You’ll need to prepare a presentation of your thesis, so

start constructing a deck.• Outline, draft, iterate, and improve your docs. Get

feedback; use your committee.• If you’re doing a thesis project, your presentation

deck you will need to draft a short document to accompany your deck. See Grad School guidelines below*

• Review Purdue’s APA formatting resource: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Produce the actual thesis documents

describing your discoveries, insights,

ideas, or assertions clearly and

succinctly.

sources

http://www.graduate.ku.edu/-downloads/ETD/ETD%20Thesis

%20Guidelines_10.22.10.pdf

http://www2.lib.ku.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/pqdtft?accountid=14556

searchable database of graduate theses &

dissertations

Graduate School thesis guidelines

Thesis research

Now share the results of your work

by presenting your thesis to your

committee. Disseminating and

sharing your work is key to the

purpose of graduate school.

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Report & Share www.graduate.ku.edu/04-02_etd.shtml

Tips: • Schedule your thesis presentation with your

committee. Notify Grad Program Director of your intent

• Apply for graduation. Check with Grad School for deadlines, etc.

• Publish a professional article or give a talk at a professional conference.

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“Punto.  Design  Training  Center  for  Small-­Sized  Business  Owners  and  Entrepreneurs  in  the  Central  American  Region”,  by  Maria  Jose  Misalemhttps://docs.google.com/open?id=0B36lum-­‐QNuqxZ3dFZnp5Q3hSNE9qNzZTd3lqRkFLUQ

Sample MA Design Management Theses 2008-12

“Squirrel:  A  Community-­Directed  Approach  To  Investing”,  by  Brian  Smithhttps://docs.google.com/open?id=0B36lum-­‐QNuqxcjNvUXBjU2hUanF0R2ppbDNKMW55dw

“Reducing  Wrong  Way  Driving  Events”  by  Chris  Simonhttps://docs.google.com/open?id=0B36lum-­‐QNuqxZjJhMGIzZjUtMTU4YS00YTk2LTg2NGUtNjc0MDk4NzIxMzBh

“Creative  Operations  Management  System”,  by  Ryan  Hembreehttps://docs.google.com/open?id=0B36lum-­‐QNuqxaTdrZ29jNUNUVE9qUm5kYkRheHA0dw

“Using  Design  to  Facilitate  Personal  Engagement  in  a  Church  Community:  A  Service  Design  Approach”,  by  Randall  Blairhttps://docs.google.com/open?id=0B36lum-­‐QNuqxd0hjMFpRUVlUZHliMHVSbHpmZDNjUQ

http://prezi.com/r8sl14y-­‐sb5h/majos-­‐thesis-­‐project-­‐punto/

Thesis research

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Sample MA Interaction Design Theses 2008-11

"An  Activity-­Centered  Design  Perspective  For  The  Creation  of  Museum  Exhibits”,  by  Morgan  Shortlehttps://docs.google.com/open?id=0B36lum-­‐QNuqxLVBxUTN6eUJRWWlfZWhDZzkzem91dw

“An  Integrated  Network  Performance  and  Capacity  Planning  Tool  Suite  (CTS):  One  Tool  to  Do  It  All”,  by  Angel  Stahlhttps://docs.google.com/open?id=0B36lum-­‐QNuqxX0RyRmFnc1JRVENNcktXWk5VRWRpUQ

“Virtual  Family  Social  Network:  Designing  a  contextually  aware  and  surfacing  computing  system  to  increase  awareness,  engagement,  connectivity  and  organizations  of  families”,  by  Georgette  Sullivanhttps://docs.google.com/open?id=0B36lum-­‐QNuqxSnNLRGlyVVlTdzI3UTdsWEVuUEpFUQ

“Canect:  Matching  The  Best-­Fit  Translation  Service”,  by  Yujie  Guohttps://docs.google.com/open?id=0B36lum-­‐QNuqxUDdyY0JuelFRbVdVdjhjVFRMYy1SQQhttp://prezi.com/4qakgfo-­‐ycib/thesis-­‐presentation/?auth_key=43241d76434cf74c13695ab57e35ad7dfd0cf47c