Design Research Methodology-Compilation

 24/4/2025 - 24/7/2025 (Week 1 - Week 14)

Chika Clarissa Widjaja / 0378636
RES 60604 / Design Research Methodology / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylors' University




TABLE OF CONTENTS


  • INSTRUCTIONS
  • TASK




INSTRUCTIONS



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TASK

TASK 1: Research Proposal

Description:
The proposal outlines your research area and intention, setting a stage for further development in the research process in this module. NOTE: Plagiarism committed in any way (pp. 15-16 of MIB) will result in an F grade for the overall module and the student will be subjected to the policies of the University concerning academic misconduct. You shall also adhere to the guidelines and expectations for the responsible use of GenAI.

Requirements:
1. Select a topic that is related to a BDCM specialisation that you are interested in (UI/UX, Entertainment Design, Graphic Design, Digital Animation and Immersive Design).
2. Identify a specific research area (research problem) within that topic. Remember, the selection should be based not only on interest but also on adequate and substantial research from
reading relevant research articles.
READ:
• What is a research article (can also be called a research paper)?
• What is an example of a research article?

Below is the list for your Proposal in Google Docs:
a) Your BDCM specialisation
b) Research topic
c) Research problem
d) Problem statement (in-text citations from relevant research is necessary)
e) Research objective(s)
f) Research question(s)
g) Reference list in alphabetical order, APA style, 7th edition.

Tutorial/Consultation:
 Your assigned lecturer will create a tutorial channel and add you in Teams by Week 2. Consultations will be conducted weekly according to the timetable. You will be responsible for attending the sessions and showing your work progress. Your weekly attendance will be marked upon consultation.

Submission:
Convert Task 1 from Google Docs to PDF and label it as <Your Name>_Task 1. Upload the PDF to your GDrive folder. Ensure that your lecturer has the link to your GDrive folder.

Fig 2.1 Research proposal final submission


TASK 2: Research - Critical Review 

Description:
Students will conduct secondary research to support their proposal. Secondary data can be obtained by using relevant literature and reviewing them critically, in the context of the research problem. NOTE: Plagiarism committed in any way (pp. 15-16 of MIB) will result in an F grade for the overall module and the student will be subjected to the policies of the University concerning academic misconduct. You shall also adhere to the guidelines and expectations for the responsible use of GenAI.

Requirements: 
1. Select THREE research articles (related to your research problem) that have been published within the last 5 years.
2. To know more about research articles, READ:
• What is a research article (can also be called a research paper)?
• What is an example of a research article?
• What are the major parts in a research article and how do I systematically read the article?
3. After understanding the above, carefully read the 3 research articles you have chosen. Referring to the notes and recorded lecture provided in myTIMeS, write a critical review for each article.

The contents of your critical review in Google Docs should follow the list below:
a) The article’s reference, written in APA style (p.5), 7th edition. To learn more about APA style referencing, watch this short video.
b) Summary of article (research problem, methodology, discussion & conclusion by the author[s])
c) Critique and evaluation of the strengths & weaknesses of the key components in the article, written in paragraph form.
d) Your conclusion of the review.
e) Reference list.

Tutorial/Consultation:
Consultations will be conducted weekly according to the timetable. You will be responsible for attending the sessions and showing your work progress. Your weekly attendance will be marked upon consultation.

Submission:
Convert Task 2 from Google Docs to PDF and label it as <Your Name>_Task 2. Upload the PDF to your GDrive folder. Ensure that your lecturer has the link to your GDrive folder.



Fig 2.2 Critical Review final submission


TASK 3: Research Design-Primary Data

Description:
For this part, the students will be introduced to qualitative research
methods, such as observation studies, interviews, and focus groups, and
quantitative research method, i.e. survey by questionnaires to collect
primary data for their study. All evidence to support data collection is to
be organised accordingly. NOTE: Plagiarism committed in any way (pp.
15-16 of MIB) will result in an F grade for the overall module and the
student will be subjected to the policies of the University concerning
academic misconduct. You shall also adhere to the guidelines and
expectations for the responsible use of GenAI.

Requirements 
1. Select and justify suitable primary research methods relevant to
your study. A minimum of one method is expected for this
assignment. However, where interviews are concerned, it is better to
have a back-up method, e. g. focus group/questionnaire/observation,
in case the candidate that you invite for the interview declines or
does not respond to your invitation.
2. Carry out the research to collect data.
3. Analyse the data collected.

In your Google Docs, include the following:
a) Recap of your research problem, research objective(s) and question(s).
b) Description of your selected method(s).
c) Justification of the method(s). This means explaining how and why this
method is relevant and suits your research, supported by literature (APA
citations) where applicable.
d) Research plan: Description and justification of the sample, description of
the sampling procedure & data collection instruments/tools.
e) Questions for the survey/focus group/interview or your observation steps.
Either way, your questions or steps you take must be justified with
research.
f) Data collected (results) and analysis of data.
g) Reference list in APA style, arranged in alphabetical order.
Tutorial/Consultation Consultations will be conducted weekly according to the timetable. You will be responsible for attending the sessions and showing your work
progress. Your weekly attendance will be marked upon consultation.

Submission:
 Convert Task 3 from Google Docs to PDF and label it as <Your
Name>_Task 3. Upload the PDF to your GDrive folder. Ensure that your
lecturer has the link to your GDrive folder.


Fig 2.3 Research Design final submission


TASK 4: Final Report

Description:
The research reflection report comprises the entire research project (the
research proposal, critical review of secondary research, research design
(primary data and analysis) and recorded presentation video link. The
report will be accompanied by a reflection which finalises the research
journey. NOTE: Plagiarism committed in any way (pp. 15-16 of MIB) will
result in an F grade for the overall module and the student will be
subjected to the policies of the University concerning academic
misconduct. You shall also adhere to the guidelines and expectations for
the responsible use of GenAI.

Requirements:
1. A set of PowerPoint slides that summarises your entire
research. The slides should include ONLY the following (in about 20-
25 slides):

a) Research problem in 1-2 sentences
b) Research question(s) & research objective(s)
c) Critical review
d) Research methodology
e) Collected data
f) Data analysis
g) Conclusion
h) References
2. An 8- to 10-minute recorded video presentation based on your
PowerPoint slides. We recommend doing this in Zoom as it is
straightforward. You are to abide by the following:
a) Your presentation slides design should allocate a space for the
video.
b) Your face must be seen, and your real voice must be clearly
audible in the video. Do make sure you have a non-distractive
background in the video. Here are some tips.
c) AI generative tools for video presentation are not permitted. The
penalty for doing so will result in an F grade.
3. One final report in Word and saved as PDF file. The report must
include the following:
a) Task 1 Research Proposal (improved version, if applicable)
b) Task 2 Critical Review (improved version, if applicable)
c) Task 3 Primary data & analysis (improved version, if applicable)
d) One reference list (compiled from Tasks 1-3) in APA style (p.5),
7
th edition.
e) Link to presentation slides. Ensure that the link is accessible.
f) Link to recorded video presentation. Ensure that the link is
accessible.
g) Link to your blogpost for this module. Ensure that the link is
accessible. Blog contents: MIB, PDF of final report, MP4 of the
recorded presentation and weekly feedback.
h) A detailed reflection for this module based on these criteria:
Experience, Observation and Findings.

Tutorial/Consultation Consultations will be conducted weekly according to the timetable. Youwill be responsible for attending the sessions and showing your work
progress. Your weekly attendance will be marked upon consultation.

Submission Convert Task 3 from Google Docs to PDF and label it as <Your
Name>_Task 3. Upload the PDF to your GDrive folder. Ensure that your
lecturer has the link to your GDrive folder.


Fig 2.4 Final Report final submission




Fig 2.5 Task 4 Presentation Video


Feedback


Week 1 :  Class did not start yet.


Week 2 : Class did not start yet.


Week 3 : Introduction to module.


Week 4 : Your research objectives:

  1. To find out --> this word is not correct; change it to 'To study'
  2. To understand --> 3rd research objective should reflect the title of your research. Hence, this should be changed to 'To study the influence of character..........



Week 5 : Okay you can continue.


Week 6 : I got logged out of my teams and when I contacted the school, they said it would take around 5 days for me to use it again. (I have informed Mr. Asrizal about this)


Week 7 : -


Week 8 : You can show a picture of an animated character while asking the questions instead of just asking them questions.


Week 9 : Ok can proceed


Week 10Did you take a look at lecture notes on how to analyse qualitative answers? 
You need to transcribe then provide a comprehensive analysis.


Week 11 :  Good. Would you be able to link your findings to any literature?


Week 12 : Good.


Week 13 : No 1 to 1 consultation anymore for week 13-14


Week 14 :  No 1 to 1 consultation anymore for week 13-14



Reflection


  Experience

Working on this project taught me a lot about how character design can shape emotional responses. At first, I honestly thought most emotional attachment came from the plot or the character’s voice, but the deeper I got into the research, the more I realised how much the visual elements actually matter. Using Baymax as a case study was helpful because his design is so simple, but somehow really memorable and emotionally effective. Going through the coding process was a bit tricky at first, but it ended up helping me see patterns I hadn’t noticed before.



  Observation

While collecting and analysing the data, I noticed that most participants didn’t really mention the story right away. Instead, they focused on how Baymax looked — his soft round shape, calm face, and even how his movements made them feel safe or cared for. A lot of people described emotional comfort just from his appearance. It was also interesting how familiar his design felt to them — like a childhood toy or something they could trust, which really stood out as a common theme.



    Findings

In the end, it was clear that character design has a big influence on emotional connection. The use of rounded shapes, neutral facial features, and soft animation style helped people feel calm and emotionally attached. Stylised designs were preferred over realistic ones because they made characters feel more approachable and less uncanny. Also, subtle design changes — like small gestures or facial shifts were enough to show emotional growth over time.













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