Editorial: Philosophical Tools in Design Research: from empirical turn to practical turn

Collaboration between Design Research and Philosophy of Technology seems very promising. The reflective, philosophical perspective brings the societal implications of design to the fore and this is an interesting focus for reinforcing research approaches for design. Since the philosophy of technology in the current of the ‘empirical turn’ aims to study concrete technologies and contexts, contributions from philosophy to design have become all the more feasible. Design Research can use the frameworks of philosophers to theorize the findings from practice, to make sense of the past, and for ethical reflection on the impacts of design and the moral responsibilities of designers. Or, still more practical, philosophical insights in the relationships between humans and technology can contribute to design for usability and design for behaviour change. On the other hand, the practice of designing actual things provides a laboratory for putting philosophical frameworks to the test and to use in the real world.