  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.
