Explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge compose the Human Knowledge. While explicit knowledge refers to information sharable through communicative media (i.e. speech), tacit knowledge – also known as ‘know-how’ – is harder to be shared due to it is linked to experience mediated personal learning processes (i.e. learning by doing); moreover, know-how is useful to deal daily practical situations. This condition produces a dichotomy: people have know-how but they are unable to share what is mediated by their experience. Many studies evidence that know-how is a sustainable value that should be shared. While emerging opportunities arose from the last economic crisis have pointed out a large number of new chances for the use of know-how, there is a lack between the human sharing’s will and the need of solutions to convert, share and learn know-how. This study proposes a design-oriented process for converting know-how, which can be applied to emerging and developing contexts, as well as to all issues concerning social innovation, inclusion and knowledge development.

Authors: Emilio Rossi