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Designwissenschaft

Designwissenschaft, or design science, denotes an interdisciplinary field that investigates design as a knowledge-producing activity rather than a purely artisanal craft. It aims to develop theories, methods, and evaluation frameworks that explain how design processes lead to artefacts, services, and experiences with value for users, organizations, and society at large. The field addresses questions about why certain design decisions succeed, how design decisions are made, and how design outcomes can be measured and improved across domains such as product design, architecture, urban design, service design, and interaction design.

Scholars draw from design theory, design methodology, cognitive and social sciences, engineering, computer science, and information

In German-speaking academia, Designwissenschaft is used alongside terms like Designforschung and Designtheorie as part of the

English-language counterparts include design science and design research, which communicate similar aspirations in broader international contexts.

design
to
build
generalizable
knowledge
about
design
processes
and
outcomes.
Research
approaches
include
theory-building,
design
research,
practice-based
research,
empirical
studies,
design
ethnography,
prototyping,
and
evaluation
studies.
scientific
study
of
design.
Universities
may
offer
dedicated
programs,
chairs,
or
research
groups,
and
journals
publish
work
on
design
theory,
methods,
and
evaluation.
The
field
sits
at
the
intersection
of
theory
and
practice,
seeking
to
inform
practice,
policy,
and
education
while
engaging
with
debates
on
the
epistemology
of
design,
the
role
of
normative
principles,
and
the
applicability
of
scientific
methods
to
design.