Taking it further: the practicl implications of action research in the field of design - V. du Preez Design, development & research, 26-27 September, 2011; Cape Town Page 358 Taking It Further: The Practical Implications of Action Research in the Field of Design Vikki du Preez Department of Research, History and Theory of Art and Design, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa Abstract This paper aims to showcase the positive implications of action research as a methodology when investigating design areas of interest. The practice of design, as well as design thinking, is compared to action Research, and in particularly participatory action research (PAR), to highlight the similarities in processes and knowledge generation. Participatory action research compliments the practical nature of design, which is often solution or goal orientated. This paper also explores the social nature of both design and action research as a critical link. The benefit of action research is two-fold: firstly, it allows the researcher to gain general knowledge about the area of study while, secondly, generating specific information which can be used to change the situation (Small, 1995: 942). The paper draws on findings from an MTech Degree study entitled Networks For Design, Through Design which used participatory action research as the main methodology of the project. The study focused on Industrial Design students and their, often negative, views on group work and collaboration. The paper discusses the various phases of the study in relation to participatory action research and describes how this methodology supported and guided the project outcomes. The aim of this paper is not to establish a single methodology suited to design research, but rather to offer suggestions and identify action research as a methodology which supports design research. Keywords: Action Research, Collaboration, Constructivism, Design Thinking, Design Process. Introduction The aim of this paper is to explore action research as an appropriate methodology for design research. The foundational study for this paper is a master’s dissertation entitled Networks for Design, through Design. The study focused on investigating problems experienced by design students in collaborative situations and proposing possible interventions 34 . The selection of an action research paradigm was influenced by four main criteria of the study; which were all supported by action research, including that the methodology 35 : i. consider the role of participants in the research and be able to highlight differences between the participants - including social, cultural, and communicative and gender differences (Small and Uttal, 2005:938). ii. acknowledge and allow investigation of all aspects of the learning cycle, including active participation and reflection (Avison, Lau, Myers and Nielsen, 1999:94). Collaborative projects in a design environment can span over many different phases including conceptualising, 34 The intervention designed as part of the Networks for Design, through Design study took the form of a Collaborative Project Logbook, which supports and directs group projects. 35 The description of project criteria is stated by Du Preez ( 2010:34)