Design Researcher

Overview

At Corgan we are passionate about great design. We are also passionate about great people, whether they’re clients, consultants, or coworkers. Corgan creates opportunities for personal and professional growth that bring out the best in ourselves and those around us by sharpening skills, leveraging technology, and encouraging communication. Our strength lies in our people, and those people consistently exceed expectations.  

We are actively recruiting a Design Researcher to join our Hugo team. Hugo is Corgan’s Research and Innovation team, exploring human behaviour, emerging technologies, and the built environment to uncover new ways to improve experiences and shape the future of architectural design. As a Design Researcher, you will work under the direction of Hugo leadership to plan and execute research that uncovers meaningful insights into how people experience the built environment. Working alongside design teams and clients, you will translate those insights into strategies, recommendations, and innovative solutions that create lasting value for our clients, projects and the future of design. 

Responsibilities

What You’ll Do:  

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, including designers, engineers, clients, stakeholders, and subject matter experts to investigate design challenges and develop evidence-based solutions. 

• Plan and conduct qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research using appropriate methodologies such as interviews, surveys, workshops, behavioral observation, behavior mapping, contextual inquiry, environmental assessments, space syntax analysis, literature reviews, and other research approaches. 

• Analyze and synthesize research findings into clear insights and actionable recommendations that inform design strategies, planning decisions, and client deliverables. 

• Identify emerging trends, technologies, industry challenges, and future opportunities that shape Hugo's research agenda while creating value for clients, projects, and the firm. 

• Explore and connect complex ideas across disciplines, and apply critical thinking to develop innovative approaches, tools, frameworks, and solutions that advance the future of design. 

• Apply research insights to inform design strategies, prototypes, proof-of-concepts, and other innovations that improve the performance and human experience of the built environment.

• Facilitate research activities, visioning workshops, stakeholder engagement sessions, and user testing to support project and client objectives. 

• Contribute to publications, conference presentations, and thought leadership initiatives that clarify complex ideas and advance Hugo’s research and innovation practice. 

• Help evolve Hugo's research methods, tools, and knowledge base while supporting the integration of evidence-based design across the firm. 

• Build relationships with external partners, academic institutions, and industry organizations to support collaborative research initiatives.  

• Manage multiple research efforts simultaneously while meeting project schedules and deliverable expectations. 

Qualifications

What you'll bring 

• 5–10 years of experience in design research required, with experience in the architecture, interior design, or related built-environment industry. A professional degree in architecture, interior design, or similar design field is desirable.
• Professional degree with a focus on Design Research, Design and Environmental Analysis, Human-Centered Design, Environmental Psychology, Social Sciences, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience designing and conducting qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research, with the ability to develop creative research approaches to complex challenges.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to organize, interpret, and synthesize complex information into meaningful insights and practical recommendations.
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills, with the ability to translate research findings and design ideas for diverse audiences.
• Passionate about creating successful user experiences within the built environment and possesses a “curiosity-first" mindset.
• Comfortable working in ambiguous environments, collaborating across disciplines, and providing and receiving constructive feedback.
• Demonstrates systems thinking and the ability to connect people, place, organizational goals, and design into meaningful research questions and recommendations.
• Familiarity with human subjects research protocols, ethical research practices, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes is preferred.
• Experience contributing to research publications, thought leadership, peer-reviewed publications, grant-funded research, or conference presentations.
• Experience with research, survey, and visualization platforms is preferred (such as UserTesting, Qualtrics, Microsoft Forms, Power BI, Tableau, or similar tools) 
• Experience with design and implementation, Adobe Creative Suite, SketchUp, Revit or other 3-D modeling programs is a plus.    

At Corgan, we believe social responsibility should be a holistic approach to supporting the community and environment. We commit our time and talent through service, provide financial support through giving, balance elevated design with responsible, sustainable solutions, and cultivate equity and inclusivity inside and outside our firm.   

We share a deep curiosity about how we can improve lives through design. We are curious about the world we have — and the world that is emerging. This passion, drive for excellence, and abiding curiosity guide us each day in our interaction with our clients, partners, associates, and with each other. Our commitment to the highest standards of professional ethics is unwavering. Maybe that is why so many of our client relationships span decades.  

From our earliest days, the Corgan philosophy of work and life balance was an important and valued part of our culture. As we’ve grown, our commitment to the well-being of our employees has only become stronger and more defined. Corgan promotes a healthy balance by removing obstacles and allowing you to focus on what you love doing, both inside and outside the office. We also offer a competitive compensation and benefit package which may be viewed here.   

*Only applications received through our website will be considered. For design research positions, please also be sure to upload your portfolio or review of your application will be delayed. *

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