[book] Design Studies: Theory and Research in Graphic Design

"[T]he discipline of graphic design has undergone a sea change. Where visual communication was once informed by a designer's creative intuition, the proliferation of specialized audiences now calls for more research-based design processes.
Designers who ignore research run the risk of becoming mere tools for communication rather than bold voices. Design Studies, a collection of 27 essays from an international cast of top design researchers, sets out to mend this schism between research and practice. The texts presented here make a strong argument for performing rigorous experimentation and analysis."

http://www.amazon.com/Design-Studies-Theory-Research-Graphic/dp/156898586X