Validation criteria for the outcomes of design research

Abstract

Design research can be described as a form of research that involves the design of some human creation or artefact. These artefacts are designed for some purpose, i.e., they aim at responding to some human necessity, either existing or foreseen. Although these artefacts are inescapable in design research, the actual outcome of design research is knowledge about the artefacts. The knowledge resulting from design research is named knowledge-for-a-purpose. It is contrasted with knowledge-for-understanding, the knowledge resulting from other forms of research. The article addresses the validity of knowledge-for-a-purpose. Four elements for such validity are presented, namely: success of the corresponding artefacts, generality, novelty and explanation capability. In order to attempt to clarify the view underlying the article, design research and its outcomes are contrasted with several other concepts that are common in the design research discourse: design activity, design science, and design science research.