Towards transdisciplinary design research as a delicate dance

This study explores how design research encompassing multiple disciplines is accomplished. Such work is highly challenging. Even if information systems (IS) research generally shows an interest in reflecting on its research practice and celebrates work involving multiple disciplines as an ideal and a necessity, sufficient attention has not been paid to the challenges of such an approach or their resolution. This study introduces a situated perspective on design research entailing multiple disciplines. “Doing design research” is approached as a complex and skilful interactional accomplishment in situ with extensive and ongoing identity and agency articulation and negotiation. The study demonstrates that “doing design research” and “being a design researcher” with multiple disciplines involve a delicate dance. The study renews our discourse on design research and enables serious reconsideration and development of IS research methods education. The research also has implications for digitally augmenting research.