Conceptualizing Design Knowledge in IS Research – A Review and Taxonomy of Design Knowledge Properties

Abstract

Design science projects are of great interest in information systems (IS) research. Typically, designoriented projects generate valuable design knowledge through the design and possible instantiation of artifacts. Although designing novel artifacts and accumulating design knowledge is common practice in IS, there is still limited shared knowledge about the distinctive characteristics of design knowledge to facilitate its accumulation. To address this issue, we develop a design knowledge taxonomy and contribute to a deeper understanding of design knowledge properties. The taxonomy is grounded on a systematic literature review, followed by a combination of empirical-to-conceptual and conceptual-to-empirical iterations. We evaluate the taxonomy by interviewing six domain experts and demonstrate its practical application and utility. Thus, the taxonomy consists of key dimensions and characteristics of design knowledge and contributes to a better scientific understanding of its characteristics. Practitioners can use the taxonomy as an instrument to further understand, design, and accumulate design knowledge.

The Transdisciplinary Reach of Design Science Research

“…One thing all DSR projects have in common is the generation of valuable and novel design knowledge [15]. As Peffers et al [1] recommend in their DSR guidelines, the communication of the design outcomes is one important part of the overall project.…”

“…Vom Brocke et al [4] provide a framework on how to position design knowledge contribution in problem and solution space by providing a set of principles that facilitate knowledge accumulation. Other research, such as the design knowledge typology by Müller and Thoring [9] or the design knowledge taxonomy by Dickhaut et al [15] provide frameworks to conceptualize design knowledge and facilitate the understanding of design knowledge properties.…”

Introduction to the Minitrack on Digitalization of Work

“…We use a theoretical frame to analyze how the papers and our accompanied DSR project codify design knowledge in their projects. The coding frame is based on the design knowledge typology developed by Dickhaut et al (2022a;Dickhaut et al, 2022b) which describes how design knowledge can be represented. We use the analytical framework to draw insights from the literature and inductively from the analyzed DSR project.…”

The Work Design Puzzle: Untangling its Relationship with Work-Life Balance across Different Forms of Work

“…Section 2.3 lists recent literature reviews that analyse various aspects of DSR publications in the Information Systems discipline. Recent work also includes a literature review of IS-DSR publications leading to a taxonomy of Design Knowledge in DSR (Dickhaut et al, 2022). Maedche et al (2021) present a Classification Framework for Design Research Activities.…”