Research: A New Priority

I may be drinking the kool-aid, but its hard to get my thoughts straight on "research" without mentioning this as a newly emergent priority at MICA. Recently, MICA hired a Vice-Provost for Research, a senior administrative position, and tauted as the first such position at a major art college in the US. This is a new office with branches in Design Thinking, Design Practice, and Race and Culture. 

The press release announcing this new position reads, "This move indicates a central role for art and artists in a global economy. With the rise of the creative economy and of creative industries, research and development activities focused on art and design are shaping a wide array of activities from public health, to interface to product design."

Its s certainly true that design is not consumer added, but a consumer essential. Participation for designers in "interdisciplinary teams" or "creative incubators" is a worthy goal not only for students to enhance their professional development skills, but to infuse design in real-world solutions that add value. 

The press release goes on to say: "the way artists think and approach experience, is solving problems and creating new knowledge in a variety of scientific fields." 

Is research a catch-all word for designers to have a place at the table of ideas?