Integrated Design Research Conference

About IDR

Integrated Design Research (IDR) is the research platform of the Department of Integrated Design at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. It serves as a space for advancing design knowledge through collaboration across design research, education, practice, and industry.

IDR seeks to foster critical inquiry, innovation, and dialogue on design as a global and culturally situated practice. While it highlights design in Asia, vernacular practices, and contributions from regional design subcultures, IDR welcomes scholarship from diverse cultural, disciplinary, and geographical contexts. The journal and conference encourage submissions that explore design as a catalyst for creative economies, social transformation, and technological innovation.

Through a strong emphasis on theory, methods, and practice-based research, IDR aims to expand the discourse on design science, design thinking, and interdisciplinary knowledge creation. Its mission is to contribute to both local and global conversations on design, bridging academic research with professional practice to advance the field.

IDR provides two primary publishing avenues:

IDR Conference: an annual double-blind peer-reviewed conference held since 2022. The conference proceedings are published with ISSN 3021-694X and eISSN 3021-6958.

IDR Journal: a biannual double-blind peer-reviewed journal established in 2024, published with ISSN 3030-7139 and eISSN 3030-7147.

  • Issue 01 accepts submissions from January to March and is published in June.

     

  • Issue 02 accepts submissions from April to June via the IDR Annual Conference (held in November) and is published in December. 

Selected papers from the conference will be published in this issue, while—with the authors’ consent—some papers may be scheduled for publication in Issue 01 of the following year.

For more information, visit the Submit page. All publications, including conference proceedings and the IDR Journal, are accessible via the website.

Aim & Scope

Integrated Design Research (IDR) is dedicated to advancing knowledge and critical discourse in design by fostering dialogue between research, education, practice, and industry. It aims to highlight the cultural, social, and technological dimensions of design while embracing diverse perspectives from across the globe.

IDR particularly values scholarship that explores vernacular practices, regional design cultures, and contributions from design subcultures, while remaining open to research that engages with broader international and cross-cultural contexts. The journal and conference welcome original theoretical, empirical, and practice-based studies that address contemporary challenges and opportunities in design.

The scope of IDR encompasses, but is not limited to, the following thematic areas:

  • Society and Culture – examining how design responds to evolving cultural narratives and societal complexities.

     

  • Vernacular Knowledge and Practice – exploring indigenous, local, and traditional knowledge systems as vital sources of creative insight.

     

  • Economy and Industries – analyzing the role of design in innovation, value creation, and transformation of industries.

     

  • Design Pedagogy and Thinking – investigating emerging methodologies and interdisciplinary approaches in design education and practice.

     

  • Design Across Technologies – studying the intersections of design, digital technologies, and innovation.

     

  • Circularity and Sustainability – addressing sustainable practices and responsible design for future societies.

     

Reflecting its multidisciplinary ethos, IDR publishes research across a wide range of design domains, including (but not limited to) Architectural Design, Ceramic Design, Communication Design, Design Education, Engineering Design, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Jewellery Design, Landscape Design, Lifestyle Design, Packaging Design, Product Design, and Urban Design.

IDR encourages contributions that not only expand academic understanding of design but also connect theory to practice, supporting the advancement of design knowledge locally and globally.

Readership and Publication

Integrated Design Research (IDR) Publications are Open Access. All articles can be downloaded free of charge. All IDR publications are deposited in the University repository and can be accessed via IDR website. The journal does not charge any fees at submission, reviewing, and production stages.

  • Self-archiving Policy Integrated Design Research (IDR) Publications allows authors to deposit Publisher’s version/PDF in an institutional repository and non-commercial subject-based repositories or to publish it on the Author’s personal website (including social networking sites, such as ResearchGate, Academia.edu, etc.) and/or departmental website, at any time after publication. Full bibliographic information (authors, article title, journal title, volume, issue, pages) about the original publication must be provided, and a link must be made to the article’s DOI.

  • Copyright Authors retain copyright of the published papers and have the right to use the article in any subsequent book, article, or other scholarly work of which they are an author or an editor, provided that appropriate credit is given to Integrated Design Research (IDR).

Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Sumanthri Samarawickrama
B.Des (Hons) (SL), MA Design (Singapore), Ph.D. (SL)
Department of Integrated Design,
Faculty of Architecture,
University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.
Email: sumanthris@uom.lk

Editorial Board

Advisors

Prof. Gerry Leonidas
University of Reading,
United Kingdom
g.leonidas@reading.ac.uk

Prof. Rathna Ramanathan
Head of Central Saint Martins and
Pro-Vice Chancellor of
the University of the Arts
Professor of Design and
Intercultural Communication
r.ramanathan@csm.arts.ac.uk

Prof. Petra Černe Oven
Academy of Fine Arts and Design
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Petra.CerneOven@aluo.uni-lj.si

Team

Dr. Sumith Gopura
Department of Textile and Apparel Engineering,
University of Moratuwa,
Sri Lanka
sumithg@uom.lk

Prof. Girish Dalvi
IDC School of Design,
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
girish.dalvi@iitb.ac.in

Dr. Indra Mahakalanda
Department of Decision Sciences,
Faculty of Business,
University of Moratuwa,
Sri Lanka
indram@uom.lk

Prof. Sreekumar.G.V.
IDC School of Design,
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay,
Mumbai, India
gvsree@iitb.ac.in

Dr. Dilina Nawarathne
Department of Integrated Design,
Faculty of Architecture,
dilinaj@uom.lk

Dr. Kamal Wasala
Department of Integrated Design,
Faculty of Architecture, 
kamalw@uom.lk 

 

Prof. Udaya Kumar Dharmalingam
IDC School of Design,
Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India
d.udaya@iitg.ac.in

Prof. Tarun Deep Girdher
Principal Faculty, Graphic Design,
National Institute of Design Ahmedabad, India
tarundg@nid.edu

Prof. PVM Karunaratne
Department of Textile and Apparel Engineering, University of Moratuwa,
Sri Lanka
virajinik@uom.lk

Dr. Inoka Samarasekara
Academic, Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture, University of New South Wales, Sydney,Australia
 k.samarasekara@unsw.edu.au

Prof. Ann Bessemans
Research coordinator and
researcher at
READSEARCH – MAD Research
info@readsearch.be

Dr. Pedro Amado
Faculty of Fine Arts of the
University of Porto / i2ADS Research Institute in Art,
Design and Society (FBAUP / i2ADS)
pamado@fba.up.pt

Dr. Sagara Jayasinghe
Department of Integrated Design,
Faculty of Architecture, University of Moratuwa,
Sri Lanka
sagaraj@uom.lk

Reviewers

Contact

Dr. Kamal Wasala
Department of Integrated Design,
Faculty of Architecture, 
kamalw@uom.lk 
+94716947520

Dr. Sagara Jayasinghe
Department of Integrated Design,
Faculty of Architecture,
Email: sagaraj@uom.lk

+94 77 731 0177

Dr. Dilina Nawarathne
Department of Integrated Design,
Faculty of Architecture,
dilinaj@uom.lk
+94767341429

Ms. Chathurangi De Silva
Department of Integrated Design,
Faculty of Architecture,
chathurangid@uom.lk
+94 773487276