Book Review: “Doing Sociolegal Research in Design Mode” by Amanda Perry-Kessaris, Routledge, 2021, 154pp, 32 B/W illustrations, £44.99

Think back to when you were starting out on your current research trajectory. How did you begin, and where? How did you identify your research question, your target audience, and your methodology? Was there an element of gut instinct? And have you revisited these questions since? While there are comprehensive methodology primers available for socio-legal researchers, none offer what Perry-Kessaris sets out in Doing Sociolegal Research in Design Mode. By contrast, this is an accessible synthesis of years of research into what tools (conceptual and linguistic) and methods “design mode” might offer socio-legal researchers. This review outlines and critiques the book, placing it in a wider socio-legal research context and asking what unique and original tools Design Mode can offer.