Research in the Healthcare Design Practice: Design Practitioners' Perspective

Objective: This study explores design practitioners' level of knowledge about research, their attitude toward research integration into the design practice, and the barriers to its application in the design process. Background: Design practitioners tend to heavily rely on previous design experience and precedents rather than utilization and application of research. Research can facilitate the evaluation and creation of innovative design solutions. Integrating research has been a challenge for the design industry. Methodology: The study utilized an online survey to solicit feedback from architects and interior designers in the healthcare sector through a snowball sampling approach. The survey comprised closed-ended and open-ended questions categorized into three distinct sections, each focusing on one of the study objectives. A total of 115 participants completed the questionnaire. Results: Practitioners tend to integrate research into the early design phases and programming. It is recognized as a tool for design enhancement by 62%, while 7% considered it to be a hindrance to their creativity. Primary data collection methods include collaboration with colleagues and user groups rather than journals and trade magazines. Cost, time, and lack of expertise are the top three hurdles in applying research in practice. Conclusions: Practitioners have a positive attitude toward research, perceive it as an impactful design enhancement tool, and use it to promote their credibility. Lack of research expertise hinders the use and conduct of research. According to design practitioners, research is costly and time-consuming and impedes their ability to fulfill clients' goals and the project timeline.