Resumen

DEL GIORGIO SOLFA, Federico. Contemporary Debates on Design Research. Índex [online]. 2025, n.20, pp.47-59. ISSN 2477-9199.  https://doi.org/10.26807/cav.v10i20.678.

In this paper, we analyze research in the field of design from a methodological and critical perspective. We understand research practice not only as a set of actions oriented toward the production of knowledge, but also as a complex endeavor shaped by social, historical, cultural, political, institutional, and epistemological conditions. From this perspective, we problematize the modes of validation and legitimation of project-based knowledge, addressing the tensions between the frameworks of modern science and the specificities of design practice. Our aim is not to establish normative prescriptions about how research in design should be conducted, but to open a space for reflection that situates the debate historically, institutionally, and socially, and examines its ontological, epistemological, and methodological dimensions. Finally, we propose broadening the discussion to contemporary approaches —such as creativity as method, decolonial perspectives, and the ecology of knowledge— to recognize the plurality of ways of conducting design research.

Palabras clave : design; research; knowledge; practice; methodology.