Excerpt: I would like to present a view of software development as an insight-building process in terms of multiperspectivity, self-organization and dialogue, drawing on epistemological ideas that have emerged from the discourse in Rational Constructivism.

Key words: Radical Constructivism, multiperspectivity, software development, design, Heinz von Foerster

In this contribution to the Festschrift devoted to Heinz von Foerster, choices are shown to be constitutive in processes of human self-organization. This is pursued along three dimensions that are seen as inherently connected: the epistemological dimension of reality construction; the communal dimension of dialogical closure; and the ethical dimension of autonomy and dialogical responsibility. In order to exemplify his style of working as a mentor, Heinz von Foerster is portrayed in interaction, drawing largely on the author’s experience. As one concrete case of a far-reaching general approach, the paper brings out the implications of his way of thinking for cooperative software design. This leads to an epistemological view of the design process, to guidelines for communal work focussing on dialogue and self-organization, and to the ethics of systems design, which means taking responsibility for the choices made in design and the choice scopes associated with computer-based systems.

Key words: Software design, epistemological foundations for design, self-organization in cooperative work, ethics of design

Design in software development is viewed, from a constructivist epistemological perspective, as an insight building process linking the worlds of application, of methods, and technology. Design unfolds as a web of distinctions and decisions constructing at the same time the problem and a fitting solution. Design is evaluated based on the coherence of the decisions taken and their viability. Closure and self-organization arise from the feedback of evaluation on design, leading to revisions and further distinctions and decisions. Software design is specific in that it starts from operational form in different areas of human practice and provides auto-operational form to be re-embedded in human practice. Dialogical design seeks deeper insights by taking account of and crossing different perspectives. The consequences of this view on software development methods are briefly discussed.