Digging deeper
So, you’re starting to get a hold of your design brief and have gathered some resources. This page has ideas of how you can start to dig a little deeper with your research.
Found one thing... what next?
If you’ve found a couple of useful books or articles to get you started, use the Reference List or Bibliography from those sources to find other relevant books, articles and reports. Reference lists are a great way to find other relevant resources for your research.
Use Library Search, to see if Deakin Library can give you access to either the book or the article.
Tip
If you can’t find or access a book or a journal article in the Deakin Library, use the interlibrary loans request to source articles and book chapters from other libraries.
Researching an ‘idea’ or ‘concept’ rather than a ‘thing’
Sometimes when you are researching for a design idea or project, your ideas may be more ‘conceptual’ and less concrete. Perhaps you don’t have a specific designer, design example or concrete design element that you are searching for. In that case, you may need to brainstorm and think about the key words you are searching for.
Practical strategies
Take a look at our Library tips for searching guide, to help you think about steps to help search for an idea or concept.
Put down in words what you are trying to search for and then brainstorm keywords that you could search on. You may find that relevant books or articles use different keywords, so the more alternative keywords you think of in your brainstorming, the easier your searching becomes.
Another useful option is to delve into encyclopedias of design or designers, to help find relevant examples that match the concepts you are thinking about. Bloomsbury Design Library is a good place to try this kind of searching.
Theory: writing about design philosophy and communications
As you dig deeper into your design practice, you may need to read more theoretical writing about design. Academic books can be helpful to learn more about the theories and philosophies that underpin design practice.
Search the Library catalogue to find books on visual communication and graphic design theory and philosophy. Some suggested useful keywords include:
- Visual Design Research
- Graphic Design Research
- Design Thinking
- Design Philosophy
- Design Social Aspects
Books on design research
Below are some relevant books on research design and theory to get you started:
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Visual research: an introduction to research methods in graphic design
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Publication Date: 2022Explores a range of research methods that can be used by graphic designers and visual communicators in the development of clear and purposeful design solutions. The book introduces key terms and theories that underlie design research. -
Design thinking research: innovation, insight, then and now
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Publication Date: 2023This volume provides readers with tools to bridge the gap between research and practice in design thinking, together with a range of real-world examples. Several different approaches to design thinking are presented, while acquired frameworks are employed to understand team dynamics in design thinking. -
Design strategy: challenges in wicked problem territory
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Publication Date: 2023Problems without apparent solutions plague the contemporary world. Roberts proposes a new "Design Strategy" to approach these wicked problems and lays out its history and evolution, its process, principles, mindsets, skillsets and toolkits that inform and guide design practice -
Design aesthetics: theoretical basics and studies in implication
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Publication Date: 2023Presents and discusses aesthetics as a theory of how design frames and conditions human experience.
Diverse voices and cultural representation
Diversity and cultural representation are some of many bigger social themes that may impact the design ideas you are researching. You may want to dip into perspectives from other disciplines and other perspectives in your research.
Here are some resources that are useful when considering indigenous knowledge in design:
- International Indigenous Design Charter
- Respectful research
- Citing and referencing Indigenous knowledges
Below are some books that include design examples and perspectives from different global cultures around the world:
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Encyclopedia of East Asian Design
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Publication Date: 2019The Encyclopedia of East Asian Design provides in-depth, critically informed coverage of practices, products, and the interpretive issues pertaining to them. The work is organised by country to reflect specific regional and national histories and geographies -
African design futures: decolonising minds, education, spaces, and practices
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Publication Date: 2025This book is designed to provide a source of inspiration to readers in imagining their own futures within fields of Creative industries. It provides insights into the challenges and opportunities of decolonising design education and propose alternative models that promote social and environmental sustainability, cultural preservation, and community empowerment. -
The Routledge Companion to Criticality in Art, Architecture, and Design
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Publication Date: 2018This book presents an in-depth exploration of criticism and criticality in theory and practice across the disciplines of art, architecture, and design. This volume investigates how practitioners, researchers, educators, and professionals engage with, think about, and value the practice of critique. -
Insider's guide to place branding: shaping the identity and reputation of cities, regions and countries
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Publication Date: 2021This professional guidebook highlights brand development and management for cities, regions, countries, and destinations. It presents a unique collection of expert interviews, combined with latest research insights and thoughts on the most relevant topics and trends linked to reputation, brand development and management.
