Ben's article in the Atlantic challenged the notion that design research can be truly objective or quantitative. At URF, he expanded on this theme with additional thoughts for researchers, and open it up for a broad discussion.

1. The Science of Good Design:
A Dangerous Idea
Ben McAllister
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

2. Hello
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

3. Hello
Ben
@benmcallister
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

4. A Dangerous Idea
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

5. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

6. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

7. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

8. Strategy
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

9. strategos (!"#$"%&'()
“general”
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

10. strategos
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

11. ágein + stratós
“to lead” + “army”
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

12. ágein + stratós
“to lead” + “army”
“that which is
spread out”
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

13. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

14. Strategy
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

15. Leadership
Strategy
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

16. Leadership
+ Uncertainty
Strategy
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

17. Leadership
+
Strategy
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

18. +
Strategy
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

19. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

20. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

21. Following
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

22. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

23. ClientName!!!ProjectName © 2007 frog design. confidential & proprietary. January 29, 2009 11
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

24. Research
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

25. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

26. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

27. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

28. Research
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

29. ClientName!!!ProjectName © 2007 frog design. confidential & proprietary. January 29, 2009 17
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

30. Research
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

31. Research Decisions
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

32. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

33. 1. Agency life hasn’t changed.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

34. 1. Agency life hasn’t changed.
2. Agency work has.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

35. “The Research”
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

36. Scientism
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

37. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

38. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

39. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

40. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

41. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

42. “Math anxiety isn't just a fear of
numbers, or, as some people think,
academic laziness on the part of
students. It's a measurable
emotional reaction.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

43. “Math anxiety isn't just a fear of
numbers, or, as some people think,
academic laziness on the part of
students. It's a measurable
emotional reaction.
Researchers like Beilock have
observed an increase in stress
indicators in the brain's
hypothalamus when college
students are told they might have
to take a math test.”
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

44. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

45. Scientism
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

46. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

47. Stuff we
know
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

48. Stuff we
know
Getting
there
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

49. Data Insight Knowledge
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

50. Science
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

51. Science
Objectivity
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

52. Science
Objectivity
Certainty
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

53. Science
Objectivity
Certainty
Progress
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

54. Science
doesn’t work
that way.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

55. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

56. Airplane crashes
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

57. Airplane crashes
Financial crashes
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

58. Airplane crashes get better
Financial crashes
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

59. Airplane crashes get better
Financial crashes not so much
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

60. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

61. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

62. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

63. “Eighty years after the Great
Depression we still argue about
what caused it and why it ended.”
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

64. Data Insight Knowledge
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

65. Data Insight Belief
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

66. Data
Data
Data
Data
Data Insight Belief
Data
Data
Data
Data
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

67. Data
Data
Data Belief
Data
Data Insight
Data
Data
Data
Data
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

68. Data
Data
Data Belief
Data
Data Insight
Data
Data
Data
Data
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

69. Insight?
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

70. Flip
Flop
Rhythm
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

71. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

72. ClientName!!!ProjectName © 2007 frog design. confidential & proprietary. January 29, 2009 40
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

73. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

74. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

75. Tuesday, June 28, 2011

76. What business
do you want to
be in?
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

77. Leading?
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

78. Leading? Following?
Tuesday, June 28, 2011