Validating design principles for creative collaboration

Design Science Research (DSR) lacks accepted validation approaches to validate its outcomes (design principles and design solutions). The quality of such a validation has to be ensured so that the outcomes of DSR are as methodologically thorough and as practically relevant as possible. This study introduces a pragmatic validation approach to ensure the quality of design principles. It uses a three-step approach, combining (1) evaluating the design solution as a case in practice, (2) qualifying the implementation of the set of design principles, and (3) assessing the validity of evaluation and qualification results. The validation approach is illustrated by assessing the evaluation results of a creativity facilitation course (design solution) developed according to a set of design principles.