The Design Tensions Framework

This article introduces the notion of design tensions as a paradigm. The concept of design tensions advances design decisions as a focus for analysis and reflection. It admits many paradigms of analysis but emphasizes the balancing of considerations in producing an entire system, emphasizing user or user group experience. This paradigm is presented in relationship to a particular design arena, the design of NetCalc, a system of handheld, wirelessly connected tools for math teaching/learning in classroom settings. Six intertwined project tensions are presented and explored for their technical, social, and cognitive antecedents and consequences, as they play out in relationship to achieving goals and system potential. Design tensions differ from design spaces in that they do not set boundaries or simplify the problem but rather provide a framework for creating a space of relevance.