ABSTRACT
I begin this chapter with an analysis of the challenges of STEM teaching and learning and then focus on two central qualities of design thinking that help the STEM researcher to better get to grips with research practice. The key contribution of the designer is to shift the focus of communication from the conventional diet of words and numbers and to engage with imagery. The designer ‘images’ new ideas but also represents them and models (manipulates) them. I illustrate how this interaction plays out in a number of research projects that have been conducted in my research unit and argue, through these examples, that the skill set of the designer enriches and empowers us as researchers.
