Software as hypothesis: research-based design methodology

Recently design has been discussed in areas of research outside the traditional fields of art and design and engineering. Meanwhile design practitioners increasingly use methods from social sciences. Completing three design cases dealing with educational technology we have developed a human-centered research-based design methodology where software prototypes play an important role. Although the methodology builds on theories and methods from social sciences and educational research the context is design. Through analyses of the patterns identified in the cases we conceptualized the intentions of the methodology and created a model of an iterative research-based design process. Research-based design emphasizes serving users and the iterative process consists of four partly overlapping phases: contextual inquiry, participatory design, product design, and production of software as hypotheses. In the hermeneutic cycle all research and design operations increase researchers' and designers' understanding of the context and factors in all the phases. Firstly this article contributes to the discussion of using design in educational research. Secondly it contributes to the philosophical discussion of designing tools for complex social systems. Thirdly it presents a model of a design process for practitioners interested in carrying out research-based design with software prototypes.

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