Abstract
Design for Values (DfV) offers a robust approach for embedding values into technology, yet practitioners often face a “principles-to-practice gap” due to a lack of methodological guidance. To bridge this gap, an operational framework is developed, connecting abstract design processes with concrete practical methods. Through a systematic literature review, this research identifies 47 specific methods that explicitly support DfV practice. These methods are analysed from four dimensions—source discipline, methodological nature, operational characteristic, and practical purpose—to map the current DfV methodological landscape. This analysis informs the construction of a six-stage framework integrated with the Double Diamond model: discover, manage conflicts, conceptualise, translate, verify, and monitor. The 47 methods are mapped to their corresponding stages in the framework. The resulting “method map” enhances the practical guidance of DfV by providing clear navigation and highlighting critical methodological gaps for future research directions.
Keywords
Design for Values (DfV); Operational Framework; Toolkit; Systematic Literature Review
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.737
Citation
Duan, Y., and Hu*, F. (2026) Towards an operational framework for Design for Values: An exploration through systematic literature review, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.737
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Towards an operational framework for Design for Values: An exploration through systematic literature review
Design for Values (DfV) offers a robust approach for embedding values into technology, yet practitioners often face a “principles-to-practice gap” due to a lack of methodological guidance. To bridge this gap, an operational framework is developed, connecting abstract design processes with concrete practical methods. Through a systematic literature review, this research identifies 47 specific methods that explicitly support DfV practice. These methods are analysed from four dimensions—source discipline, methodological nature, operational characteristic, and practical purpose—to map the current DfV methodological landscape. This analysis informs the construction of a six-stage framework integrated with the Double Diamond model: discover, manage conflicts, conceptualise, translate, verify, and monitor. The 47 methods are mapped to their corresponding stages in the framework. The resulting “method map” enhances the practical guidance of DfV by providing clear navigation and highlighting critical methodological gaps for future research directions.