Research for Designers
Research is critical for any designer. Not only do we research the historical, social, economic, geographic, and cultural conditions of the piece, but we research the design styles, art movements, inventions, and aesthetic traditions of the given circumstances. We rely on evocative and thematic imagery to inspire creative innovation upon that research. Research imagery on color, texture, shape, form, light, and space guide our imaginations to create a complete design package. All that to say – research is an essential component of the design process.
Reputable Resources
The best research sources are either primary (written/created during the time), written by an academic scholar (an expert in their field), or published by a reputable website (.org, .gov, .edu are good indicators). You may find high-quality information and imagery in other places, too.
To ensure it is legitimate information, confirm the source: move backwards in the line of sources until you can find the originator of the information. If that leads to inconclusive results, cross-reference the information with other confirmed sources.
If you are unsure whether a source is credible, start at Ritter Library's page on evaluating sources. Other resources include helpful guides from the Henry Buhl Library and the University of Washington, explaining the 5W method, the SMART check, and the CRAAP test.
Artificial Intelligence Caution
Be cautious with AI chatbots, digital assistants, and generated images. While it may feel like a harmless streamlined alternative to a search engine, AI chats do not have the discernment, sensitivity, and interpretative skills that allow human beings to sift through search results mindfully and effectively.
AI may be fed with falsified or malicious data, leading them to string incongruent and outlandish thoughts into a collection of misinformation. AI chats may even “hallucinate” incorrect information, making up answers if their training data is inconclusive, overly contradictory, or simply too small of a pool of reference.
AI-generated images are oversaturating search engines like google and photo collection sites like Pinterest, often without any warning or identification. Among a crowd of imagery, they may be difficult to catch.
Ways To Spot AI Images
- Back-track. As we would go back to the source on any piece of information, go to the most immediate source of the image. Inspect the page to find their source for the image. Keep moving backwards until you can find a reputable starting point.
- Reverse image search. Download the image and submit it to a reverse image search engine. From there, sort through the results to find it posted from a reputable resource.
- Compare with other images. Compare and contrast the image you’re looking at with images of the same location, time period, event, subject, etc. Do the aesthetic features like color, texture, shape, architecture, ornamentation, décor, and fashion match?
- Zoom in. Look for strange outlines, weird blurs, or misplaced objects.
- Smoothness. How blurry, liquid, and/or blended is the image? If there’s a glossy smoothness that removes rawness and personality, it may be AI or overly photoshopped. AI tends to have a “cartoon” like appearance.
- Study the background. The background of an image is where the most inconsistencies and warping will occur, as AI tends to focus on the subject and foreground of images. If you see repeating and overlapping shapes in the background - as if something was moving too fast for a camera to pick up - it may be AI. If lines of background objects warp and bend in unrealistic ways, that is another indicator of an AI image.
- People. AI has the most difficulty with human beings. Take a close look at hands – do they have the right amount of fingers? Are there any extra limbs? In general, are features in a reasonable proportion with the rest of the body, granted what we know about the variation that naturally occurs in human bodies? AI images also tend to make people perfectly symmetrical, which is not realistic, either. Try mirroring the image and determine how closely the reflected face matches the original.
- Text. AI has a difficult time with text. It will appear like a blend of all languages together - a symbolic “Sim” language.
- Strange or surreal lighting. If an object is being hit with light from a direction where light is not originating from, it may be AI. Consider how light produces highlights and casts shadows: highlights occur closest to the light source, whereas shadows generally cast in the opposite direction. Does the image follow those principles?
Resources for Spotting AI Images
“BBB TIP: How to Identify AI.” International Association of Better Business Bureaus. https://www.bbb.org/all/spot-a-scam/how-to-identify-ai.
Adam Rowe. “9 Simple Ways to Detect AI Images (with Examples) in 2024.” Tech.Co, 22 Nov. 2023
Chandra Steele. “How To Detect AI-Generated Images.” PCMag. 18 June 2024
Research Sources for Designers
Below are lists of some good sources to start your research process. There are many more sources for you to discover during your process.
Art and History Museums
- https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search?
- https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections?type=featured
- https://artuk.org/discover/topics
- https://artsandculture.google.com/
- https://museumfurniture.net/
- https://www.artic.edu/collection
- https://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/art/explore-the-collection/decorative-arts-and-design/
Educational Sites / Collections
- https://www.loc.gov/
- http://www.thewestologist.com/
- http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/
- http://www.artcyclopedia.com/
- https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/history/architecture
- https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/history
- http://www.furniturestyles.net/
- https://www.britannica.com/
- https://library.artstor.org/#/home
Commercial
- https://www.architecturaldigest.com/architecture-design
- https://www.artsy.net/
- Check out archives of magazines like Better Homes and Gardens, House Beautiful, Elle Décor, etc.
Fashion / Textile Focused
- http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/h/history-of-fashion-1900-1970/
- http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/h/history-of-fashion-1840-1900/
- https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/
- http://www.costumegallery.com/
- https://www.thejohnbrightcollection.co.uk/explore/
- https://content.lib.washington.edu/costumehistweb/index.html
- https://www.metmuseum.org/art/libraries-and-research-centers/watson-digital-collections/costume-institute-collections/costume-institute-fashion-plates
- https://uritextilecollection.omeka.net/collections/show/11
- https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search?department=8
- https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/explore/subjects-and-themes/
- https://www.kci.or.jp/en/archives/digital_archives/
- https://door11.com/
- https://www.historicalfabricstore.com/periodfabricguide
- https://copa.apps.uri.edu/info.php
Evocative / Inspirational
- Unsplash has great high-quality images, many of which are free to download without watermark.
- Flickr is amazing for searching “family Christmas 1946” or “mom prom 1960” to get a glimpse into the lives of real, everyday people.
- An artist or photographer’s dedicated website or blog.
- Urban exploring is great for abandoned buildings – you can still see the original architecture
- Pinterest or google images, with caution. If it is a historical image, it MUST be confirmed and backed by a reputable source.
For Media Designers
When it comes to media and projection design, research may turn into content sourcing. As such, it is crucial to go about research and sourcing in an ethical and responsible manner.
Not only must the designer obtain intellectual property rights and licensing for imagery they intend to display, but they must consider how they ought to respect the lives and boundaries of real people and their communities. The best way to obtain consent when dealing with personal, cultural, or sensitive content is from the primary owner, original creator, and/or direct descendant.
Copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives the owner legally secured rights to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative or academic work. Even if a piece of art is not listed with a copyright statement, the artist who created the art automatically owns the copyright for that work of art from the moment of its creation. As such, it is always best practice to have the copyright holder’s permission when using any art, image, video, or other content that is not your own. Creative Commons is an organization that provides licensing for creative and academic works. Pay close attention to the details (linked here) for each type of license – some require credit to the creator, some do not allow for remixes and transformations, some only allow for noncommercial or educational use, and some are entirely under public domain and free to use in any way that you wish.
Fair Use is the legal use of copyrighted materials for the purposes of commentary, criticism, parody, teaching, research, or reporting. There are four aspects of “fair use”:
- Purpose and Character of the Use
- The intention behind using it the work. Education, research, criticism, and commentary are fair use.
- Nature of the Original Work
- Whether the work is published or not.
- Whether the work is more “factual” or “creative.” Factual is more likely to be fair use.
- Amount and Substantiality of the Portion Used
- How much of the original work you are using. Smaller amounts of the source are more likely to be fair use.
- Note that “amount” is proportional to how substantial and central the parts are to the original work. Peripheral parts of the original work are more likely to be fair use.
- Effect of the Use on the Value of the Source Work
- How much the use reduces the economic value of the original. Something that is not for sale in such a way that would substitute for the sale the owner would otherwise make is more likely to be fair use.
Regardless of the rules surrounding fair use, it is always best to obtain copyright licensing and ethical consent from the source.
Sources on Copyright and Fair Use
Katherine Freer. "The Media and the Message" [conference presentation]. United States Institute for Theatre Technology. Seattle, WA, United States
