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Designing Information Systems
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Information technology (IT) plays an increasingly important role for individuals, organizations,
markets, and society as a whole. IT systems are artefacts (human made objects) designed
for various purposes. Given the multiple-purpose characteristics of computers, such
artefacts may, for example, support workflows, perform advanced calculations, support human
communication and socialization, enable delivery of services and digital products, facilitate
learning, or simply entertain. The diverging application areas for IT present a challenge to
designers who, as a consequence, have to address increasingly divergent design situations.
There have been numerous arguments suggesting that the IT artefact has been 'taken for
granted', and needs to be understood and conceptualized better within information systems
(IS) research. This thesis is based on the pragmatist notion that one important value of IT
resides in its potential to support human collaboration. Such a belief has implications for the
development of (1) knowledge aimed for action, change and improvement; (2) knowledge
about actions, activities and practices; and (3) knowledge through action, experimentation and
exploration. A view of the IT artefact is outlined, showing it as part of a social and technological
context. IT artefact design is explained in relation to the induction of social change.
The notion of stakeholder-centric design is advocated, along with practical theory to promote
a situated understanding of use qualities and design ideals. A set of meta-theoretical implications
for design-oriented IS research is proposed.
The research process consisted of five inquiries into different IT-reliant social contexts. In
the first four inquiries, social and communicative qualities of IT artefacts were assessed,
governed primarily by Dewey's notion of inquiry as a theory of knowledge. The fifth inquiry
was a largescale action research project, including interventions into the social setting, and the
design and implementation of a new IT artefact into that setting.
Jonas Sjöström - Personal Name
978-91-506-2149-5
NONE
Designing Information Systems
Information Technology
English
2010
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