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Design+ Transposing human action research to design

Although the transposition of existing purposeful research from well-structured contexts into the ill-
human action theory and task performance research structured domain of design. In accordance with several
is necessary and important, it is likely to encounter previous characterizations of design, we argued that
conceptual and practical challenges. We concluded by there is a gap between assumptions of human action
briefly outlining three potential challenges. First, much of uniformity across disciplines and design’s distinctive
the existing research on purposeful human action theory characteristics as an ill-structured domain. We proposed
and task performance originates from well-structured analogical reasoning as both an operational framework
contexts, with clearly defined units of observation and and explanatory mechanism to adapt purposeful human
unambiguous analytical criteria. Such clarity is absent in action theory and task performance research originated in
the ill-structured context of design. For example, “Tetris well-defined contexts for study in design contexts.
episodes” offer clear beginnings and endings of (i.e., the Our examinations of Kirsh and Maglio’s epistemic and
appearances of new bricks on top of the screen and the pragmatic actions theory and Bavelas’s communication
end of their falls) as well as clear criteria for success or patterns studies show that while some of their principles
failure in Tetris play. In typical design work, however, such remain relevant in design contexts, others require
correspondents are not readily available. Identifying units substantial adaptation and testing for application in
of observation and analytical criteria in the ill-structured design. In the case of Kirsh and Maglio’s binary distinction
context of design tends to be challenging, as it requires between epistemic and pragmatic actions, such adaptations
significant subjective interpretation from the researcher. led us to propose a more differentiated set of six
This is common in research into/about design, and the analytical categories. Similarly, our preliminary work on
issues of reliability and generalizability remain an ongoing communication patterns suggests avenues for adaptation
challenge.
and testing in design.
Second, testing the validity of existing research across
varied disciplinary and professional contexts is subject to Some challenges emerged in our attempts to transpose
the conflict between rigor and relevance. Rigor requires existing purposeful human action theory and task
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the control of variables of research laboratory standard performance research to design: The absence of clear
with clear observational units and unambiguous analytical observational units and analytical criteria in ill-structured
criteria, which is typically available in well-structured contexts, the tension between research rigor and practical
contexts. In contrast, practical relevance requires proximity relevance, and the potential conflict between replication
to applied (in this case, design) practice. In this tension and the imperative for originality in design research.
between rigor and relevance, key aspects that contribute Despite these challenges, this approach offers promising
to ill-structured contexts such as multi-stakeholder social and potentially valuable opportunities to refine existing
entanglements and implications of design, can be in theories and develop more nuanced understandings of
conflict directly with core criteria of rigorous research. design processes. We hope that, by bridging the gap between
well-structured theories and ill-structured design contexts,
Last but not least, the need for the proposed this work contributes to the development of design theory
transposition of existing purposeful human action theory and offers practical insights for design research, education,
and task performance research from well-structured management, and practice.
contexts into ill-structured contexts may be seen as part
of the broader “replication crisis” of academic research, Acknowledgments
constituting a need for “conceptual replication,” aiming None.
“to assess [the] generalizability, as well as [the] veracity, of
[an earlier] result.” 80(p492) This alignment of the proposed Funding
research to replication research may conflict with the
“imperative for originality” sometimes encountered in None.
design research. 81(p.247) As a result, it may limit research Conflict of interest
interest in, and possible funding support for, the research
approach proposed here. The authors declare they have no competing interests.

5. Conclusion Author contributions
We have presented a strategy for the transposition of Conceptualization: All authors
purposeful human action theory and task performance Investigation: All authors

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2025) 12 doi: 10.36922/dp.4875