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Incomplete by Design and Designing for Incompleteness

Pennsylvania State University, USA, rug14{at}psu.edu

Sanjay Jain

University of Wisconsin at Madison, USA, sjain{at}bus.wisc.edu

Philipp Tuertscher

Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Austria, philipp.tuertscher{at}wu-wien.ac.at

The traditional scientific approach to design extols the virtues of completeness. However, in environments characterized by continual change, there are challenges in adopting such an approach. We examine Linux and Wikipedia as two exemplary cases to explore the nature of design in such a protean world. Our observations highlight a pragmatic approach to design in which incompleteness is harnessed in a generative manner. This suggests a change in the meaning of the word `design' itself — from one that separates the process of design from its outcome, to one that considers design as both the medium and outcome of action.

Key Words: platform • emergence • design • innovation community

Organization Studies, Vol. 29, No. 3, 351-371 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0170840607088018


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