Trans RINA, Vol 154, Part C1, Intl J Marine Design, Jan - Jun 2012
paradigm built on the foundations objectivity.
of neutrality and
A further point made by detractors is that there is no tidy definition of action research [10]. While this is a valid comment the reality of the design process itself is that it is intricate and complicated, which therefore makes action research more rather than less attractive as a research method in this instance.
Despite these
challenges to action research it remains a sound way of illuminating the design process primarily because of the value placed on linking theory and practice [11].
Along with the various definitions and explanations of action
research there are also many diagrammatical
interpretations of the process. For the purposes of this design the elements of planning, acting, observing and reflecting illustrated by Zuber-Skerritt [12] have been used to explain the project. This illustration of the action research cycles interrelates well with the notion of yacht design as a complex, spiral process (as articulated by Larsson & Eliasson, see above).
identified challenge. Observation is apparent in the information that was gathered during the development for each of the aspects — a key step, as the systematic gathering of
journey from alternative processes of designing a yacht and contributes research
information is what distinguishes this knowledge to
the field.
Reflection on the action is then used to inform the next iteration of the process.
Figure 3: Design spiral for the development of the Shaw 9 metre.
3. THE DESIGN JOURNEY
The development of the Shaw 9 metre yacht provided a platform for the exploration of the interrelation of art and science in the practice of yacht design. The complexity of a yacht design project, combined with a limitation on time and analytical resources, meant adopting a design method which draws on both intuitive and scientific methods to achieve effective and creative solutions.
It was important to develop my own approach to the design process, within the established framework of the action research spiral: Skene notes,
Originality based on one’s own study and experimental work is really the keynote
of
success. He who does things in a certain way because others are doing it and have always done it that way contributes little to the advancement of the art. [13]
Figure 2: The action research spiral (Zuber-Skerritt, 2001, p.20).
Applying this action research method to the development of the Shaw 9 metre, the Planning phase for each aspect of the design included identifying current challenges and the foundations of them, including conventional wisdom and limitations on construction and knowledge. The Acting phase is evident in relation to each of the design aspects as a process was put in place to respond to the
©2012: The Royal Institution of Naval Architects
In developing the overall concept refining each specific involved engaging
design aspect, this
design and then process
with the action research model
described above: planning a design action, acting on that, observing the effects of that plan on the design, and reflecting on how each aspect could be altered and improved in a further iterative spiral.
This resulted in a design journey which took the form of a long, detailed and evolving spiral. A number of key
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