Users play an important role during the design phase of complex information systems. In this study, we develop a repository of best-practice designs, which are encoded as metadata of contemporary web services. We examine if this prototype repository, Web Service Crawler, makes the communication between users and analysts more effective. The development of the repository, which serves as a requirements search and exploration engine, was guided by theories from four different research streams and introduces several new design characteristics. Web Service Crawler serves as a dynamic reference model and reduces the cognitive load of the analyst by sharing that load with the user as the pair explores the repository for best-practice designs. It supports an agile approach to system design through rapid selection of appropriate web services. The evaluation results demonstrate that Web Service Crawler is an effective and efficient tool for supporting designers during initial service design, as well as for supporting users and analysts during system design.