Sharing is fundamental part of designing. It’s not design, without the intent to produce some sort of shared output.

There is a similar relationship between collaboration and design practice. If you treat design as a practice which includes the design of relationships with people, than you must engage in the act of collaboration at some time.

Collaborations are commonly formed for working on a project, followed by some type of shared output. The nature of shared output that comes as a result of collaboration requires different demands for sharing. These demands are even more varied when collaborations occur in an open-source environment.

This presents an area of opportunity to explore the affordances and create new tools surrounding collaboration.

At minimum there is need to modernize collaboration tools for designers.

• handheld and can be easily moved
  • portability
  • think with hands
  • vary location
  • enable social interaction, collaboration
  • enables multiples for crit, comparison, juxtaposition in small field of view
• fixed in space, not easily moved
  • it’s a place to go to – exists in space (and in the head)
  • enables people to come together without planning
  • site specificity – relation to culture, objects, context
• various scales
  • pixel scale, – scale of objects on a page or screen. Allows for manipulation and juxtaposition of intangible objects.
  • hand scale, 4″ – intimate, fine use of hands
  • book scale, 8″ – good for writing and reading, narrow field of view enables single focus
  • arm’s length scale, 3′-4′ – enables simultaneity, broad gestures, fills field of view
  • human scale, 5′-8′ – evokes emotion, enables standing, full body sensation
  • car scale, 12′ – requires movement to see entire,
  • building scale, 20′ – evokes shelter, social, modulates light
• defines and visualize a physical or imaginary location in space – enables spatial mental representation & manipulation
• sit/stand
• can spread-out work

Sketching

• little prep
• rough work easy
• lots of ideas quickly
• low cost materials means little censoring
• tangible output to assist in metaphor, reflection, ???
• helps brainstorm, idea generation
• spontaneity and serendipity

Refined, precise, detailed

• engages fingers, hands in gestures
• learning curve enables fine, controlled motor skills
• wide range of expression possible
• allows for manipulation of fragile materials
  

Broad, large, expressive

• big gestures
• enables use of arms, other parts of body
• wide field of vision

Tools

• evocative, tool has character
  • specific, narrow-range, idiosyncratic, rich, evocative
  • general, adjustable, wide-range
• learning curve
  • learning curve minimal, fast to use
  • learning curve maximal, lots of nuance to expression
  • both are possible in some, but not always
• tools for making tools – custom for the designer’s practice, or specific project
• tools for making processes - custom for the designer’s practice, or specific project

Code

• create sequences, interactions, behaviors
• create tools both digital and tangible
• handle complex data
• works independent of human engagement

Research

• comprehend an existing body of knowledge
• add to bucket of inspiration
• understand existing constraints and opportunities
• re-factor and formulate individual stance
• can initiate deep thinking
• learn from others instead of repeating the process

Reflection

• juxtaposition – see ideas in comparison to each other
• isolation – of person, or of content
  • focus, eliminates context, losing yourself in it, flow
• viewable outside the mind – tangible, in the world, sensible
• evokes ideas in the mind
• editable

Collaboration

• social interaction
  • group can see the same thing, shared experience
  • each can communicate with others
  • each can manipulate thing
  • “eye-contact”
• pin-up
• synchronous and asynchronous discussion
• divide into parts for individual work
• scale of collaboration requires some different approaches

Idea generation

• visualization of ideas
• externalize & organize
• think by writing
• think by sketching
• think by making
• serendipity
• inspiration
• define principles/constraints
• enables complete absorption/flow
• disrupt flow/absorption

Learning/design process

• test ideas
• experiment with multiple approaches
• learn medium in context of project
• learn materials in context of project
• organize
• make a mess
• reorganize/refactor
• sequence
• breakdown into tasks

Manipulating Psychological State

• ability to change modes through the day
• concentration
• distraction
• entry into “flow”/absorption/focus
• contemplation
• daydreaming
• discharge nervous energy
• create nervous energy
• enable thinking/analysis by moving around (physically/mentally)