In order to better understand and grasp the progress of social innovation design research, this paper combines quantitative and qualitative research methods and conducts a quantitative analysis of 4037 papers on ‘social innovation design’ in the Web of Science database from 2013 to 2023. According to the findings of this study, the policy environment and the technological environment are the main guiding factors for social innovation design research. This paper presents an academic ecological landscape that differs from previous ones in terms of publication volume, research hotspots, and evolutionary trends. In addition, this paper conducts a descriptive analysis on the time distribution and key themes of social innovation design research. Finally, it analyses the content of the literature from three aspectsessential characteristics, challenges and development paths, and reflection on social innovation design research.