𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝒊𝒔 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅—𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒐—𝒃𝒆?
Our team recently participated in the PhD Workshop with Professor Dimo Dimov on "Design Science in Business and Management Studies." This experience has deepened our understanding of how design science is reshaping scientific inquiry and innovation.
Our PhDs and postdocs - Alexander, Jim, Siddhesh, and Léna - have put together three main takeaways from the workshop:
1️⃣ 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥:
Herbert Simon distinguishes between the natural world, which science studies to explain what already exists, and the artificial world, which is where design science steps in. The natural focuses on what is necessary and given, while the artificial is contingent, adjustable, and subject to human intervention. Design science, therefore, is not about analyzing fixed realities—it is about exploring possibilities and imagining what could be different. It is thus a science of the artificial—guided by socio-historical conditions of possibility but never fully determined by them, always open to new potential.
2️⃣ 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭:
Design science pushes the boundaries of what science can achieve by challenging and redefining the limits of possibility. It not only focuses on the facts accumulated from the past or what is happening now, but also casts a bold eye toward the future. Science, traditionally aimed at understanding the causality of phenomena, now becomes an imaginative practice where the past serves as a boundary to be continually overcome and transgressed. Design science thus urges scientists to ask: What might the future hold if we start thinking differently about the problems of today?
3️⃣ 𝐀 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝, 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞:
Finally, design science calls for an active, participatory role for scientists, where it is not enough to theorize from a distance. Scientists need to immerse themselves in real-world practices and grapple with the messy, complex problems people face. This means offering practical guidance that is flexible enough to be adapted but simple enough to help practitioners get started and make meaningful progress. Design science is thus an engaged practice, where scientists do not simply observe but—together with practitioners—enact a future, which is not just dreamed but consciously crafted.
A special thank you to Professor Dimo Dimov for his great insights throughout the workshop. Swipe through to discover more & we'd also love to hear your thoughts!
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝?
🙏 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 Carlsberg Foundation.
