Pushing the Boundaries of Reality: Imagination and Design in Science

Abstract

This paper introduces a framework of ‘imagination and design’ as a relevant form of scientific inquiry. While the Information Systems (IS) discipline is mainly concerned with the evaluation of existing phenomena, we argue that much potential for scientific progress lies in the envisioning of new concepts and not-yet-existing worlds, systems, and artifacts. Envisioning and externalizing such imaginary concepts allows the discussion and evaluation of possible futures and the development of suitable interventions. We shed light on the concept of imagination from various perspectives, including philosophy, epistemology, evolution, design, and creativity and link it to creative mechanisms and design activity. The resulting conceptual framework of theoretical perspectives enables the IS community to better estimate and assess the value of introduced concepts that are not yet to be considered as ‘justified true belief.’