> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://mada.gitbook.io/experimentation-field-guide/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://mada.gitbook.io/experimentation-field-guide/why-experimentation/design-research-in-complexity.md).

# Design Research in Complexity

> “*The map is not the territory.*” 
>
> \- Alfred Korzybski

## What are the implications of complexity for design research? 

Developing a consistent practice of intentional experimentation within a research culture is becoming increasingly relevant, as design research focuses more on complex, social and situated contexts. 

The overarching aim of continuous experimentation is to amplify the quality of our research and potential impact. This amplification is achieved by an explicit experimentation practice fostering the following:

1. Intentionally clarifying the goal of an experiment sharpens the research activity, then analysing and translating data points into insights and next steps incrementally moves the bigger project toward a successful outcome.
2. Breaking up a multi-year project into small everyday experiments affords: a focus to ongoing inquiry, strategy for addressing different disciplinary partners questions and documentation to track decision-making.
3. Quick, short experiments offer a way to consider not just one independent variable but interrogate multiple variables in repeated experiments (for example: considering iterations of a workshop through the lens of physical ability, gender, affect or change).
4. Recording and sharing the insights from lab experiments offers a way to make visible to interdisciplinary collaborators the insights gained by our design moves (i.e. prototyping, figuring, priming, probing, facilitating, sketching etc)