Experiments in Experience: Towards an Alignment of Research through Design and John Dewey’s Pragmatism

This article draws an alignment between John Dewey's Pragmatism and design inquiry or, particularly, research which incorporates design practice. Three core components of Dewey's philosophy are described—namely, his theory of inquiry, his theory of communication, and his metaphysics—all of which are seen to interlink to form a unique approach to knowledge. From this, a number of key features of the approach are set out. When held in combination, it is argued that these features hold the potential to enrich the epistemological basis of design inquiry.