This paper describes the process of investigating a number of different research methodologies in order to select a suitable approach for an effective Industry-Academic collaborative research project. The research project in question is a 15-month research partnership between a global financial organisation and a research team from a university institute. The aim is to collaboratively design innovative solutions to support the company’s programme to improve their Information Technology (IT) capabilities using the IT Capability Maturity Framework (IT-CMF). A number of potential approaches were investigated, including Action Research (AR), Canonical Action Research (AR), Design Science Research (DSR), Design Thinking/User Experience (UX) and Action Design Research (ADR). Having discussed these approaches, this paper then explains why ADR was chosen as the approach for this project and examines its validity in practice throughout the first half of the project. The key contribution of this paper is a critical discussion of a decision-making process around methodology selection in a current Industry-Academic research project that aims to produce innovative solutions based on an organisational intervention. This problem is relevant to any discipline that engages in Industry-Academic collaboration, particularly with regard to socio-technical problems, including, for example, Information Systems (IS), Management and Organisation Studies.