Abstract

The Design Research Society 2020 International Conference will be hosted by Griffith University at Brisbane, Australia. As with the previous DRS biennial conferences, DRS2020 will be one of the major forums to discuss and present cutting-edge design research. DRS2020 invites high-quality research papers, together with conversation and workshop proposals. DRS2020 explores the conference theme of SYNERGY – the coming together of people and disciplines in design research to create positive impact. While we champion the uniqueness of disciplinary knowledge and creativity, we are also optimistic about how the coming together of different mindsets, backgrounds and perspectives can realise transformative visions of the future. Synergy in design research provides exciting possibilities for answering multi-faceted problems, supporting stakeholder initiatives and participation, and transforming existing situations into desirable ones. As the influence of design research grows within academia and society globally, through Synergy we question what new opportunities there are for us to work together, within and beyond our field. How do disciplines work together in design research? What new methods and tools of design do we need to realise synergistic working? But also, when might Synergy not be desirable? How do we balance the tension between design research specialisms and the new experience design, interdisciplinary design and transdisciplinary design research spaces we find ourselves working in?