Theory Building in Multi-Paradigmatic Discipline of Industrial Design

Abstract

The complex and multidimensional nature of industrial design activity requires the consideration of multiple perspectives in its exploration. Therefore, design theories have often been developed using various perspectives from various disciplines. While this has facilitated the expansion of knowledge in the field, the expansion is often comprised of singular theories that claim universality despite their limited scope, resulting in conflicting and contradictory theories. As a result, the inability to establish communication between different theories appear as a significant barrier to cumulative knowledge building in the field. The study explores the field of industrial design in terms of paradigm conceptualization, a criterion for distinguishing what is considered scientific or not, in the philosophy of science of the 20th century. Since a nomothetic theory cannot be built in multi-paradigmatic disciplines, a research strategy for industrial design has been proposed, suggesting the hybrid use of activity theory and grounded theory. This strategy aims to construct partial theories that facilitate communication among different paradigms and support the cumulative knowledge in the field.

Keywords

• Industrial Design
• Multiparadigmality
• Activity Theory
• Grounded Theory

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