Research Methods

Design research:
Graphic solution:audience, message or product,budge,materials,the means of production, the employment of an approprite visual lauguage, and the fianl form the  outcome will take

critical investigation
new fact and information
the collection and collation of old data in order to evaluate and teat hypotheses or design proposals
encompass the study of a subject,employing the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data.

research employs method and schemes of testing to interpret events,facts,and recordings.
research provides the fundations of the design process of problem solving and visual comunication.
the research component of a graphic design brief can take a singular form im some projects,such as the collation of audience feedback to a proposal,or it can opreate in several forms simultaneously, each body of reaearch findings working together and in tandem to inform the overall approach to a project.

research "by" design means that the process itself is a type of research.

Qualitative research methods

• Interviews

Interviews enable face to face discussion with human subjects. If you are going to use interviews you will have to decide whether you will take notes (distracting), tape the interview (accurate but time consuming) rely on your memory (foolish) or write in their answers (can lead to closed questioning for time’s sake). If you decide to interview you will need to draw up an interview schedule of questions which can be either closed or open questions, or a mixture of these. Closed questions tend to be used for asking for and receiving answers about fixed facts such as name, numbers, and so on. They do not require speculation and they tend to produce short answers. With closed questions you could even give your interviewees a small selection of possible answers from which to choose. If you do this you will be able to manage the data and quantify the responses quite easily. The Household Survey and Census ask closed questions, and often market researchers who stop you in the street do too. You might ask them to indicate how true for them a certain statement was felt to be, and this too can provide both a closed response, and one which can be quantified (30% of those asked said they never ate rice, while 45% said they did so regularly at least once a week... and so on).

Quantitative research methods

• Questionnaires

Questionnaires often seem a logical and easy option as a way of collecting information from people. They are actually rather difficult to design and because of the frequency of their use in all contexts in the modern world, the response rate is nearly always going to be a problem (low) unless you have ways of making people complete them and hand them in on the spot (and this of course limits your sample, how long the questionnaire can be and the kinds of questions asked). As with interviews, you can decide to use closed or open questions, and can also offer respondents multiple choice questions from which to choose the statement which most nearly describes their response to a statement or item. Their layout is an art form in itself because in poorly laid out questionnaires respondents tend, for example, to repeat their ticking of boxes in the same pattern. If given a choice of response on a scale 1-5, they will usually opt for the middle point, and often tend to miss out subsections to questions. You need to take expert advice in setting up a questionnaire, ensure that all the information about the respondents which you need is included and filled in, and ensure that you actually get them returned. Expecting people to pay to return postal questionnaires is sheer folly, and drawing up a really lengthy questionnaire will also inhibit response rates. You will need to ensure that questions are clear, and that you have reliable ways of collecting and managing the data. Setting up a questionnaire that can be read by an optical mark reader is an excellent idea if you wish to collect large numbers of responses and analyse them statistically rather than reading each questionnaire and entering data manually.

Primary Research

Primary research is designed to meet your unique and specific needs. This fundamental research is conducted by you—if you're on a tight budget—or by a research firm that you hire for the project, usually a firm that comes recommended by a colleague. The research can include focus groups, surveys, interviews, and observations. 

Unlike other forms of research, where you apply the work of others to your business, primary research aims to answer questions relevant solely to your company. For instance, if you are launching a new website and want feedback regarding its design and efficacy, the research firm you retain would share the site with focus groups in order to gauge their responses to the website. This works well because strangers have no vested interest in your website.

Primary research gives you a lot of specific results. For example, a focus group would be asked specific questions that you help design so the information is very targeted to your needs. Also, the research firm would use statistical models to come up with a sample group that is representative of your target audiences, making it very relevant to your business needs. Primary research provides two basic forms, exploratory and specific.

Exploratory Research

Exploratory research does not aim for specific results or data points. It is more open-ended. It can help you identify problems and usually involves interviews or focus groups with extensive input from participants. For example, if you noticed your website was not producing any sales and you chose to interview users to determine any problems, they might say they found it hard to navigate the site or they found it overwhelming and too content-heavy. 

Specific Research

Specific research is very targeted in its scope. It is used to solve any problems that you discovered through exploratory research. Specific primary research routinely involves interviews and is very precise. In the example of your website, once the exploratory research identifies the problem, that your website sales decreased due to difficulties navigating the site, you would use specific research to test reactions to a new layout that is easier to navigate. One major downside to primary market research is cost.

Conducting a study yourself or hiring a research firm can cost thousands of dollars, making it too costly for many small business owners. 

Secondary Market Research

Secondary market research is when you use previously completed studies and apply the results to your own situation. These studies are easy enough to find via an internet search or by researching marketing journals and, on the upside, are usually free or low cost. The drawback for businesses is that the results are not specific to your business, and you may not be aware of all of the variables involved. The results may also be broader than your company's niche, making it difficult to help inform your business decisions.