The IfDRA sees itself in this spirit as an interface, intermediary and adviser for the different representatives of theory (academia, teaching) and commercial practice (users, designers, entrepreneurs).
A priority is to support practice-based, non-academic research through design, which still has little recognition in academia and science in particular. Simultaneously, the institute increases awareness that this design practice can also contribute to the theory. This happens, if perhaps in a different manner, based on the same justification as in academic research about design. Likewise, a priority is perceiving design through research, that is, research processes that are essentially (also) design processes.
Finally, the design of classic research is also part of the field of design research. This should be understood as including activities such as test set-ups, laboratory situations and the like in almost all disciplines.