Tinkering, tailoring, and bricolage: Implications for theories of Design

Current structural specifications for design theory and guidelines for Design Science fall short of creating theories that account for user tinkering, secondary design tailoring, and the interactions of supporting kernel theories. This paper offers an expansion of design theory conceptualization by incorporating aspects of design which occur in everyday technology use. Currently, design theory is focused solely on the artifact while obscuring the teleological information processes for which they are designed. We propose the addition of environments which can organize kernel theories and provide insight regarding interaction and influence of kernel theory in different use contexts. In addition, the modification of information artifacts and processes as users tinker with, and tailor systems is a necessary aspect of design theory specifications.