# Demystifying Tacit Knowledge in Graphic Design: Characteristics, Instances, Approaches, and Guidelines

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.06252 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.06252/

## Key facts

- Cited by 10 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 10 Mar 2024.

## Built on by (most cited first, 10 of 10)

- [How Do AI Agents Do Human Work? Comparing AI and Human Workflows Across Diverse Occupations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.22780/) (2025)
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- [ClearFairy: Capturing Creative Workflows through Decision Structuring, In-Situ Questioning, and Rationale Inference](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.14537/) (2025)
- [Improving User Interface Generation Models from Designer Feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.16779/) (2025)
- [CANVAS: A Benchmark for Vision-Language Models on Tool-Based User Interface Design](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.20737/) (2025)
- [Agentic Design Review System](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.10745/) (2025)
- [From Junior to Senior: Allocating Agency and Navigating Professional Growth in Agentic AI-Mediated Software Engineering](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.00496/) (2026)
- [Design Generative AI for Practitioners: Exploring Interaction Approaches Aligned with Creative Practice](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.03074/) (2026)
- [TUX: Measuring Human--AI Tacit Understanding](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.30930/) (2026)
- [Through the PRISM: Principle-Aware, Interpretable, and Multi-Scale Evaluation of Visual Designs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.00592/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Despite the growing demand for professional graphic design knowledge, the tacit nature of design inhibits knowledge sharing. However, there is a limited understanding on the characteristics and instances of tacit knowledge in graphic design. In this work, we build a comprehensive set of tacit knowledge characteristics through a literature review. Through interviews with 10 professional graphic designers, we collected 123 tacit knowledge instances and labeled their characteristics. By qualitatively coding the instances, we identified the prominent elements, actions, and purposes of tacit knowledge. To identify which instances have been addressed the least, we conducted a systematic literature review of prior system support to graphic design. By understanding the reasons for the lack of support on these instances based on their characteristics, we propose design guidelines for capturing and applying tacit knowledge in design tools. This work takes a step towards understanding tacit knowledge, and how this knowledge can be communicated.