Design Science Research: Balancing Science and Art in Building a Game Applied to Health

• Published in: Journal on Interactive Systems Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 127 - 138
• Main Authors: Oliveira, Luma Wanderley de, Oliveira, Saulo Soares de, Vieira, Marcos Alves, Santos, Silvana de Lima Vieira dos, Carvalho, Sérgio Teixeira de
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazilian Computer Society 13.08.2022
• Subjects: applied game; arterial hypertension; design science research; dsr; serious game
• ISSN: 2763-7719; 2763-7719
• DOI: 10.5753/jis.2022.2682

In the field of applied computing, such as in the development of games applied to health, there is a growing interweaving of two distinct fields: ”Science” and ”Art”. The methodology of Design Science Research (DSR) can contribute by directing with greater scientific rigor the development of technology-oriented research. The objective of this paper is to present and discuss the use of the DSR methodology in applied computing research, in which the developed artifact is a game applied to health. Three development cycles were defined. The first cycle prioritizes the understanding of the problem, the second defines the development of the main artifact, and the third, in turn, deals with the evaluation of the artifact. In this way, it was possible to instantiate a DSR model and generate artifacts that contribute to the understanding and the practical development of the solution. We also present a discussion about the conduct of the research and adaptations that this model could receive for research focused on game design for applied game development. The conclusion is that a balance between ”Science” and ”Art” results in innovative work that is in demand for production.