MAKING SENSE BEFORE MAKING THINGS. BUILDING DESIGN RESEARCH LITERACY AND EPISTEMOLOGICAL AWARENESS IN FIRST-YEAR MASTER STUDENTS IN DESIGN

This paper presents a pedagogical model developed within the MA Design for Sustainable Futures programme to introduce design research foundations to first-year master’s students. The course Design Research & Methods, conceived in close relation to Design Studio, functions as an entry point to academic inquiry in design, supporting students in understanding how design generates, structures, and communicates knowledge, providing a research scaffold intended to inform early-stage studio work by strengthening problem framing, evidence use, and the articulation of design decisions. Placed at the start of the Master’s path, it builds a shared research vocabulary and familiarises students with diverse epistemological and methodological approaches. Through an iterative trajectory—from defining design and knowledge production to framing research questions, selecting methods, and analysing data—students learn to navigate the design research process systematically and reflectively. Hands-on exercises (literature dataset building, mind mapping, and IMRAD-based writing) translate these principles into practical skills. The paper outlines the course design and reports diverse assessments grounded in students’ experiences. Overall, the study examines how early exposure to design research competences may foster intellectual autonomy, critical thinking, and methodological awareness, supporting a research-oriented mindset for future challenges