Transforming Meta-design from Paradigm to Working Theory

摘要

In a traditional product lifecycle, the design of the product typically predates its use. Meta-design is a paradigm rooted in end-user development research that aims to address this issue, by proposing a shift from the traditional design-time vs. use-time separation, towards a model where designers meta-design open ended systems that allow for future changes by end-users. Meta-design has existed as a paradigm for almost 20 years, but is still not widely adopted in practice. The application and study of meta-design has been mostly limited to retrospective analyses, rendering the paradigm descriptive instead of prescriptive. The challenge remains in understanding the factors impacting the adoption of meta-design, and in predicting and explaining the factors that determine successful meta-designed environments. This paper proposes an approach towards building this understanding, in order to connect conceptual notions related to meta-design with knowledge obtained from studying its implementation.