Designing an Interdisciplinary Research Culture in Higher Education: A Case Study

Design methods and processes are now commonly used across disciplines as an approach to gain deeper and more connected understanding within complex or wicked problems. However, little research exists on the use of Design to facilitate and grow interdisciplinary research culture within higher education institutes. This paper discusses how and why Design methods were used to create an interdisciplinary research culture in a newly emergent and rapidly evolving higher education environment. It uses a case study of a teaching orientated higher education institute, now moving towards Technological University status, and seeking to create an Interdisciplinary research culture. It discusses the process of using Design to create a unifying research identity, Design methods in mapping and framing of research landscapes, designing dissemination platforms, and Co-designing future research policy for the institute.