Qualitative Research Methods in Design

About the Course

This course is designed for postgraduate students in design, as well as researchers and professionals in design-related fields. It is suitable for those who wish to deepen their understanding of qualitative research methods and their application in design contexts. The course is also relevant for doctoral students and faculty members engaged in design research. Faculty members who want to teach courses in Design Theory may also attend this course.

The course counts towards 6 credits in the ePGD programme in Interaction Design offered by IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay.

Who should attend?

This programme is for you if you are:

A postgraduate student in design interested in qualitative research methods in design.
A researcher or professional in a design-related field wanting to learn basic qualitative methods.
Design Researcher conducting qualitative design projects or user studies.
A doctoral student or faculty member involved in qualitative design research.

Goals and Outcomes

After attending this course learners should be able to:

Contents and Schedule

The table below shows the planned contents for the 6 day online course. The course can be conducted either as one full day (either Sat or Sun) or as two half days (both Sat & Sun) depending on the preference of the course participants. Participants should have basic research knowledge, communication, and Excel/Word/Google Doc skills, along with a commitment to fieldwork and teamwork.

Week

Topics (Lectures)

Learning activities, assignments

Week 1

Introduction to Qualitative Research: Overview, principles, and paradigms. Features of qualitative research.

Topic finalization, Identifying research paradigms

Week 2

Data collection methods: Observation, interviewing, transcription.

Permissions, and protocol development.

Week 3

Fieldwork and Initial Data Collection: Rapport building, icebreaking, and conducting interviews. Introduction to journaling and transcription techniques.

Conduct fieldwork and transcribe interviews. Field journal entries and transcriptions.

Week 4

Introduction to Coding and Thematic Analysis: Basics of qualitative coding and identifying themes. Semantic vs. latent codes. Thematic analysis overview.

Coding transcripts, generating themes, and refining them with mentor guidance. Initial codes and draft themes.

Week 5

Thematic Development and Narrative Formation: Synthesizing themes, framing narratives, and developing context. Preparing for theme reportage.

Finalizing themes and narratives, draft a reflective essay, and prepare theme reportage. Themes, narratives, and reflective essays.

Week 6

Presentations and Peer Review: Mentor feedback on Final project. Peer review. Reflective discussions on methodologies and findings. Final project presentations (in-person in the IITB campus)

Present findings, review peer work, and refine outputs. Final presentations and peer reviews. End-course exam (in-person in the IITB campus)

Course instructor(s)

Girish Dalvi

Eligibility Criteria

You have an undergraduate degree (or equivalent) from a recognised university in any of these disciplines: design, engineering, architecture, fine arts, applied arts, information architecture, ergonomics / human factors, writing and communication.
OR
You have any other undergraduate degree from a university recognised by IIT Bombay and if you have work experience in the industry of 3 years or more in any of these roles: user interface designer, user experience designer, web developer, information architect, graphic designer, visual designer, copywriter, product manager, brand manager.

Credits and Certification

Participants get 6 credits after passing this course which count towards the ePGD in Interaction Design from IIT Bombay. Please refer to the Credits / Certification section of the FAQs for more details.