Forging a sharper blade: A design science research approach for transition studies

•To date, transition studies has yet to formally incorporate design science as a mode of research.•A design science research cycle is proposed for transition studies, outlining two levels of boundary objects.•The scientific development of design knowledge is demonstrated using an embedded example.•The positioning and value of design science research within transition studies is discussed. Research on socio-technical transitions often recognizes the need for change in order to make society and the economy more sustainable. Yet, much of transition studies focuses on developing explanatory knowledge. There is a scarcity of tools and other prescriptive knowledge that is directly relevant to practice to induce the needed change. In line with recent calls to introduce a design perspective in the transitions field, we present Design Science Research (DSR). DSR is well established in other areas, such as organization studies and information sciences, and has the potential to support important contributions to transitions research. In this paper, we introduce the approach, present an example where DSR is used to develop design knowledge about socio-political work in the Dutch geothermal energy niche, and discuss how DSR adds to existing research approaches in the field.