Constructivist Grounded Theory Methodology: A Guide to Explore the Epistemologies of the Philosophy of Design

In the context of the philosophy of design, this research highlights modernism’s foundations and impact on design and the designer’s role in the everyday. Arguing that design does not attend enough to its modernist foundations. Through the lenses of cosmopolitanism and cosmopolitics, the research explores the everyday as a framework for understanding the ‘common world,’ where design mediates interactions between humans, non-humans, and social spaces. Building on insights from Latour, Sloterdijk, Boltanski, and Lefebvre, the research investigates the dynamic relationships between people, objects, politics, and spatial production. Further, by engaging with Parsons and Galle’s philosophy of design, it proposes that everyday experiences could reshape design epistemology, steering it toward more human-centred approaches. Informed by constructivist grounded theory (CGT), the author developed a five-stage methodology process, which supported exploring philosophies of design and the everyday as a means to move towards an adapted epistemology of design.