Introduction: Bridging Design and Fandom

Abstract

In this introduction, the author introduces the fields of design research and fan studies and discusses how they have prior under-explored synergies. The introduction provides a background to this book, introduces design and fandom as fields of study and surfaces their commonalities. The author provides a new framework for thinking about design for, into and through fan studies research and uses it to locate the wide-ranging research that will be presented in the following chapters. The introduction concludes by introducing each section of the book and the work which it contains.