Designing transdisciplinary sustainability science : a comparative analysis of a transdisciplinary research framework and design thinking

Abstract: Sustainability science has to solve some of the most complex problems of our times. So far, the field of sustainability science is more known for its promises than its solutions. It is successful at creating knowledge but is lacking in terms of developing actionable knowledge. The transdisciplinary process incorporates practitioners and the people for whom the solution is intended in the research process. This cooperative approach aims at creating solutions for science and practitioners within the same research process. As such, transdisciplinary research is the most promising approach in sustainability science to solve sustainability problems; however, its difficult execution is hindering its potential success. Solutions for sustainability problems are urgently needed, so the advancement of sustainability frameworks and approaches is necessary and relevant. The aim of my research is to find out how and to which extent the design thinking can support the advancement of the transdisciplinary framework by Lang et al. (2012) as it described the ‘ideal’ transdisciplinary research process. My approach is to compare the framework with design thinking and analyze the differences to find points of improvement for transdisciplinary framework in sustainability science. Using a qualitative comparative approach, I compare every single step of both frameworks to define and analyze their differences. The overall result of my research is that I found several potential ways to advance the transdisciplinary framework by Lang et al. (2012). The inclusion of certain parts of design thinking can increase the quality of the outcomes for the people the ‘product’ is intended for. Furthermore, my analysis shows that problem understanding and solution development can be advanced. Another finding is the opportunity to improve the guidelines of iteration of the transdisciplinary framework. This concerns the iteration of steps within the process and the entire process. Iterations have far reaching benefits, such as developing prototypes and additional feedback before the implementation of the final product. Therefore, I argue for a better integration of iterative guidelines in the transdisciplinary framework. However, the advancements may compromise the applicability of the transdisciplinary framework towards actual research. The broad variety of sustainability problems prevented me from defining specific criteria for its range of application. Therefore, I could only answer how the design process can advance the transdisciplinary framework, but I could not fully answer to which extent. My thesis establishes a first connection between design thinking and transdisciplinary sustainability science by showing possible improvements for the framework by Lang et al. (2012. Further research regarding the limitations and applicability in actual research processes are necessary to validate my findings.