Practitioners design artifacts of different kinds. Researchers and practitioners both create methods for designing such artifacts. The question arises whether those methods are actually valid and useful. In this conceptual paper, we argue that there is a need for “method corroboration”-the deliberate and reflected use and possible validation of a design method. We present a literature review of method corroboration in the IS and more specifically in the DSR literature. The findings are summarized as a conceptual model outlining eight strategies of method use, which are then condensed into a 2-by-2 framework of method corroboration. The results of this paper present insight into the current state of method corroboration in the DSR field and provide guidance for working with design methods in research and practice.

The theoretical understanding of design knowledge is a crucial concern for research in the design discipline. This article extends the rich existing research on design knowledge by providing a unifying model of design knowledge. The insights are derived from a rigorous review of existing literature. The resulting model presents an original framework of design knowledge that can help practitioners, scholars, and educators from the design discipline to better understand the characteristics of design knowledge and the possibilities for transferring it.

The design of the workspace can be an indicator for an organization's innovation culture. This paper introduces a canvas-based collaboration tool that facilitates both, team-based analysis of existing workspaces regarding the expressed culture, and co-creating spatial design ideas with the goal to instigate a cultural change. This two-way approach is also reflected in the canvas design. We describe the development process of the canvas and its evaluation through a workshop. As a result, the contribution of this paper is twofold: (1) It informs practitioners about the relevance of spatial workspace design for cultural change, and (2) it provides insights on an atypical canvas design.

Workshops are often used in the information systems (IS) and design fields to evaluate artifacts or to co-create business innovations. However, the evaluation of workshops is often conducted in a rather unsystematic and heterogenous way. This paper introduces a set of guidelines for designing or evaluating artifacts through workshops. These guidelines include five evaluation principles and a framework that outlines appropriate evaluation methods for different research goals. The relevant constructs and principles were identified based on related literature. The derived evaluation matrix was then revised based on ratings of five experts who independently assigned appropriate research methods for different evaluation foci. The framework's applicability was evaluated by comparing it with ten papers from the IS and design fields. The proposed guidelines can support researchers with conducting workshop evaluations in a comparable and replicable way, which will help to improve research rigor in the future.

This paper reports an embedded single case study from a globally operating manufacturer for digital healthcare products. Based on nine semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and a diary study among employees, we were able to gain insights on the daily business routines and interactions of the design team, the UX research team, and the product management department. The results revealed several unexpected insights that indicate a practical mismatch between user-centred design processes learned from the textbook and design practice in the healthcare sector that warrant further research.

Sketching and prototyping are parts of a 'reflective conversation with materials of a design situation' (Schön, 1992). To support this conversation, we developed a reflective tool -the Reflection Canvas- that facilitates reflection activities through sketching and prototyping on the one hand and verbalisation on the other. We introduced the reflective tool to design students. Based on observation and answers from a questionnaire data reveal that guided reflection structured the process in a helpful way. It also turned out students had difficulties to switch from visualisation to verbalisation.

This paper compares two pioneering design educational approaches: the historic Bauhaus school founded in 1919 in Germany, and contemporary design thinking education, based on the example of the HPI School of Design Thinking. We compare both approaches according to six emerging categories: (1) curriculum, (2) multi-disciplinarity, (3) mind-set and culture, (4) study environment, (5) conditions for innovation, and (6) socio-economic context. We outline differences and similarities and discuss the possible impact for future design education.

This paper provides an overview of the state-of-the-art research about creative work and learning environments. We conducted a systematic literature search within the Scopus database and identified a total of 70 relevant sources discussing creative spaces within academic, practice, or other innovation environments. Among the included sources are 48 academic publications and 22 sources from company research and illustrative coffee-table books that are discussed separately. We analyse the academic sources regarding their theoretical contribution, as well as regarding their scope. Finally, the included sources are categorized according to three areas of interest: (1) the addressed space types for different creative activities, (2) abstracted requirements for creative spaces, and (3) concrete characteristics and configurations of a creative space. The results provide an in-depth insight into the current state of research on the topic of creative spaces. Practitioners, educators, and researchers can use the presented overview to investigate the possible impact of creative workspace design and to identify research gaps for conducting further research in the field.

Creative workspaces are becoming popular in many organizations. They are believed to support innovation efforts and creativity among employees. This paper presents spatial evidences of creative work environments from real-life organizations, based on an exploratory multi-case study in 18 institutions. The found workspaces were mapped and categorized according to the qualities they might provide for affecting creativity. The resulting inventory of creative spaces contributes to the emerging interest on creative workspace design by presenting inspiring best-practice examples. The shown examples provide the readers with a better understanding how a creative space could be designed in order to provide an environment for an innovative organisation. Related literature was added to explain the possible impact of specific spatial configurations.

At the fuzzy front end of innovation emerging ideas are often fuzzy as well. This may lead to premature rejection of those early ideas and hence result in missed business opportunities. This paper introduces the Idea Arc-a canvas-based innovation tool that facilitates team-based discussions, elaboration and refinement of an idea, identification of missing parts, detection and correction of inconsistencies, finding fit between elements, and preparation for prototyping. We developed the canvas based on expert interviews and tested it in two workshops. As a result, this paper contributes to the existing research on the fuzzy front end of innovation and also informs the emerging research on visual innovation tools.

Work and study environments that facilitate creative design processes - so called creative spaces - have gained an increased interest in the past years. This paper contributes to this emerging field by providing a set of guidelines for creating such environments. We developed a set of 49 abstracted design principles (patterns) that are empirically developed, embedded in the broader system of creative spaces, and supplemented by examples. The suggested principles provide concrete, yet adaptable, guidelines for designers, educators, and spatial planners who want to redesign their creative environments.

The physical environment in design education can have a significant impact on students' creativity, learning performance, and wellbeing. However, little attention is given to the question, how to design such spaces in a scientifically sound manner and how to involve the relevant stakeholders. Specifically, the future users of the space - students and teachers - might have important insights about the spatial requirements. To support spatial planners, teachers, and students, who want to improve their existing learning spaces or to design them from scratch, we developed a toolkit, consisting of several checklists, card sets, floor plans, and canvases to frame spatial requirements and ideas. The toolkit was tested and evaluated in a workshop at a design school in the UK that was in the process of moving departments to a new building. Hence, this paper presents an action research cycle including the four steps of 1) designing the toolkit, 2) conducting the workshop, 3) observing the workshop and obtaining feedback, and 4) reflecting on and iterating of the creative learning space development toolkit.