It is important to explore your options before you choose a design research major. You need to make sure it is going to be a good career choice. Design research is not a purely design degree. It involves taking knowledge from many different disciplines and bringing it together in a professional career. Some people will find it a natural fit while others will find combining so many different concepts confusing. It is important to understand exactly what this career option involves before you make a commitment to joining an education program.
Do you love to problem solve? Part of being a design research major is learning how to take pieces from many disciplines and bring them together. If you love to solve jigsaw puzzles, this major may be a good selection for you. If you love to take a problem and find good solutions, this major may be a good selection for you. Being able to take knowledge from many different areas and bring them together is a foundation piece that any design researcher needs to have. Being able to break a problem down into manageable pieces is also another foundation piece.
Do you like to do research? Some people do not like to do research. However, for some people, it is a natural fit. For those that want to undertake a design research major, having the desire to do research is essential. Research involves taking a problem and breaking it down into pieces. The design researcher then has to go out and look through various resources to find information on the problem. After gathering all of this information, the researcher needs to be able to pull out relevant information to solve the problem at hand. Research often involves a love of reading as well as gaining understanding on a variety of topics.
Does the design world fascinate you? Another significant part of a design research major is the design world. Successful students have a love of design. They want to find out what the latest trends are and how those trends came about. If you find the design world fascinating, then this major may be a good fit for you. If you find design boring, it might not be a good one. It is important to look at all of these different aspects to see is becoming a design researcher is a good idea for you. That will tell you whether to sign up for courses or not.