Intrinsic Origin and Design Application of Thick Data

XIAO Zhuo; LIANG Qiao

doi:10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.02.013

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Packaging Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (2) : 131-142. DOI: 10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.02.013

Industrial Design

Intrinsic Origin and Design Application of Thick Data

XIAO Zhuo, LIANG Qiao^*

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Abstract

The work aims to review and analyze the current research on the anthropological concept of "thick data", exploring the origins and development of thick data, and studying its application in design processes and research tools. Citespace citation analysis and in-depth literature review were combined to sort out the development of thick data theory and practice and design research methods for thick data were explored through case studies. The three stages of the development of thick data research in China were summarized, the connotations of terminology under the two major research lineages abroad were explained, and the core concepts of thick data were applied to design research. In China, thick data has undergone three stages of introduction, conceptualization and theorization. Internationally, based on different strategies for anthropology's engagement with the (big) data revolution, thick data research can be categorized into two lineages and three conceptual dimensions. Furthermore, by exploring the anthropological roots of thick data, this paper proposes a design research methodology grounded in thick data and investigates approaches for constructing user profiles based on thick data.

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thick data / design research / design research methods of thick data

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XIAO Zhuo, LIANG Qiao. Intrinsic Origin and Design Application of Thick Data[J]. Packaging Engineering. 2026, 47(2): 131-142 https://doi.org/10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.02.013

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