Phenomenology of Science: A Designer's Role on Research Teams

This thesis explores the hypothesis that designers, as visual representation specialists, can catalyze novel moments of insight for researchers by visualizing, translating, distilling, and interpreting abstract data or models into concrete forms which allow researchers to see their data in a new way. Through four design practice studies, in four different contexts of research, I have employed what I see as the skills of a designer to assist in the exploration, testing, and definition of new knowledge. This research identifies and illuminates four pathways into a rich territory for exploration at the intersection of scientific research and recursive visualization design. I hope to show that designers can not only be external communicators of science, but be contributing members of a research team. This thesis does not aim to identify and problem and solve it, but rather to open a space of exploration. Well situated in four fields of literature, but focusing on a more practice-based approach to research through design, this thesis is an organic novel outgrowth of previous thinking. Methods and definitions of critical scientific visualization skills are elucidated, in addition to detailed descriptions of the role of design on scientific research teams.