Facilitating knowledge synthesis with reasoning patterns : Where design science meets futures research
Aalto, Pasi (2026)
2026
Konetekniikan DI-ohjelma - Master's Programme in Mechanical Engineering
Tekniikan ja luonnontieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2026-05-29
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202605296554
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202605296554
Tiivistelmä
In this master’s thesis, two distinct organizational issues are recognized and alleviated. At the root of both issues are troubles with knowledge transfer, firstly from senior designers to novices and secondly, issues with eliciting the future of a development project and its findings.
The process to tackle the challenges stems from empirical – and action research and draws on methodologies from design science, knowledge management and futures research. Contextually the study situates in a Finnish maritime industry company’s development project aiming to create a fleet of hybrid modular cruise ships.
In practice six case studies were conducted, of which five aimed to elicit the expertise of senior designers with semi structured interviews and modelling reasoning patterns based on both explicit and implicit knowledge. The sixth case study was the most extensive and consisted of 14 hours of facilitated workshopping on a collective vision and a strategy roadmap together with approximately 10 experts participating from different disciplines.
For the client company, the research collaboration resulted in five reasoning patterns three of which consist of delivery and information flow of paramount ship functionalities, incorporated with modular product architecture, one with stakeholder intentions attached to ship dimensioning and the last combining previous models into one large composite reasoning pattern. In addition to a concerted vision with improved clarity and a strategy roadmap describing a foundational path towards an enterprise of quality, a hybrid modular product fleet of ships along with: “Creating green and safe travelling possibilities for future generations.”
For the research community this study resulted in three prominent approaches to facilitating design knowledge transfer and a novel adaptation of vision development and an innovative framework to strategy roadmapping. Also, further evidence was uncovered that proper facilitation, leadership and guidance can yield quality results.
The process to tackle the challenges stems from empirical – and action research and draws on methodologies from design science, knowledge management and futures research. Contextually the study situates in a Finnish maritime industry company’s development project aiming to create a fleet of hybrid modular cruise ships.
In practice six case studies were conducted, of which five aimed to elicit the expertise of senior designers with semi structured interviews and modelling reasoning patterns based on both explicit and implicit knowledge. The sixth case study was the most extensive and consisted of 14 hours of facilitated workshopping on a collective vision and a strategy roadmap together with approximately 10 experts participating from different disciplines.
For the client company, the research collaboration resulted in five reasoning patterns three of which consist of delivery and information flow of paramount ship functionalities, incorporated with modular product architecture, one with stakeholder intentions attached to ship dimensioning and the last combining previous models into one large composite reasoning pattern. In addition to a concerted vision with improved clarity and a strategy roadmap describing a foundational path towards an enterprise of quality, a hybrid modular product fleet of ships along with: “Creating green and safe travelling possibilities for future generations.”
For the research community this study resulted in three prominent approaches to facilitating design knowledge transfer and a novel adaptation of vision development and an innovative framework to strategy roadmapping. Also, further evidence was uncovered that proper facilitation, leadership and guidance can yield quality results.