Abstract
In our age of climate emergency and social divide, we investigate how the use of design methods in management research, and more specifically market studies, can drive positive real-world change. Viewing markets as dynamic socio-material assemblages that are always in the making, implies that market-studies researchers are engaged in their transformation whether intentionally or not. In this paper, we focus on how design methods help market-studies researchers actively engage in market interventions and transformation activities, and how this activism shapes our understanding of the future. We draw on a pragmatist perspective on design inquiry, outlining different elements and devices of co-design methodology, and provide an example of its use in market studies. We conclude that, in a research environment that demands real-world impact, design methods may come to challenge traditional research practices due to their ability to transform and create new worlds.