Why Methods Don't Work and How to Get them to Work

TLDR

Improving method use requires considering the entire field of application, and the study concludes with an outlook on the “pinngate” research project at Darmstadt University of Technology. The study aims to boost the effectiveness of methods in design projects and education by analyzing why they often fail. The authors propose a holistic optimization of methods that accounts for education, designers, and organization, and suggest approaches to improve method transfer.

Abstract

In order to improve the use of methods, the whole field in which methods are applied must be taken into account. There should be a substantial increase in the effectiveness of using methods in design projects, as well as in the support in learning and teaching them. The optimization of methods should follow a holistic approach, which includes influencing factors, such as education, designers, and organization. This paper presents and discusses an experience-based analysis of reasons why methods don’t work. Based on the analysis, some approaches for improving the transfer of methods are also presented. The paper closes with an outlook on the researchproject “pinngate” at the department of product development and machine elements (pmd) at Darmstadt University of Technology.