A visual thesis? techniques for reporting practice-led research

This paper describes an approach taken to the use of visual material as a significant part of PhD thesis in an Industrial Design research project. The aspiration to make creative work central to the thesis has been debated in a wide range of disciplines, but there are few examples of successful practice, especially in design. The authors sought to make visual material central to the process of developing a PhD thesis and worked with a research student to put this into practice. The process was beneficial to both the student and his audience and it is hoped that this approach provides a starting point for further development of practice-based research