ABSTRACT
The paradigms commonly used in research are not sufficiently broad or flexible to cover the reality of design in all its complexity. This chapter analyzes some generalities of pragmatism and addresses the ideas of Peirce and James. It reviews some ideas put forward by other authors in which it is explained how pragmatism supports the use of mixed methods of research. Pragmatism is a philosophical position that emerged and developed fundamentally in the United States at the end of the nineteenth century, although this trend was also important in England. Another fundamental idea in pragmatism is that of ‘habits of action’, which are determined by the practical effects associated with a concept. Design research requires a philosophical approach capable of responding to its complex reality. Pragmatism emerged as an alternative to the currents of thought which placed the debate very far from everyday life. Peirce focused his work precisely on human experience and on the practical consequences of ideas.
