ABSTRACT
This chapter delves into the flourishing field of design research and its potential role in challenging the dominant scientism paradigm in addressing complex global issues. I argue that design research, grounded in creativity and generative thinking, offers a valuable alternative lens to the positivist approaches of scientism, allowing for more flexible and dynamic problem-solving. The current challenge for design research, as I see it, is striking a balance between formalisation and maintaining its emergent nature. As design research continues to grow and lead multidisciplinary efforts, I envision a future in which it becomes a significant tenet of the knowledge paradigm, possibly even disappearing as a distinct discipline. By fostering a 21st-century Enlightenment and breaking free from the constraints of scientism, this chapter proposes that design research has the potential to reshape our understanding of and responses to pressing global challenges.
