Andrea Guerra

HOVER platforms are interactive digital working space composed of HOrizontal and VERtical interconnected tactile surfaces. Since ICED 2011, we defended the hypothesis that interactive surfaces can greatly increase the effectiveness of the early preliminary design phase by increasing collaboration. So it is pivotal to understand the impact of such interactive surfaces on collaborative behaviors of design teams. We present the TATIN-PIC HOVER platform, an example of HOVER platform, that we built as a test tool. We describe our experimental protocol to assess if HOVER platforms change the collaborative behaviors of design teams throughout the idea generation phase, compared to traditional pen-and-paper mediating tools. To achieve this goal, we compare pen-and-paper against HOVER platforms. We measure the equity of contributions in the common objectification process (i.e. writing concepts on post-it) with a sample of 40 young practitioners. Our preliminary results show that HOVER platfo...

Often, users’ opinions in small groups comparative observations are measured through Likert and Likert-type items-based questionnaires. Resulting data are analyzed in order to find any statistical difference whether positive or negative among the two conditions. Due to the confusion around Likert scales ordinal or interval nature, how to statistically analyze them, is still an open matter of discussion. Should it be a parametric or non-parametric approach? This article analyze the existing literature and propose an approach which aim is to avoid fragmentation in this type of research.

This paper proposes a design strategy and a Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design (CSCWD) system, which have co-evolved together to meet the goal of improving the Preliminary Design Process (PDP). Because there is no consensus for a definition of PDP, here we define it as an evolutionary, iterative and heuristic process. Methodological Circulation is a design strategy where multidisciplinary design teams explore the solution space of a problem, while a project manager facilitates this heuristic and effectual exploration by determining the way forward through appropriate decision-making. Creating a computer support system for this design strategy requires considering 4 factors at the base of this co-evolutionary approach: the problem-solving cognitivist posture, the dynamic of the preliminary design activities, the nature of collaboration, and the composition of the design group and management. We present how these factors have mutually influenced our CSCWD system called TATI...

Computer supported cooperative tools in design are introduced to improve the preliminary design process. A design strategy called Methodological Circulation is also presented, which is based on a co-evolutionary perspective of tools and methods. The impact of computer tools is assessed through comparative design observations. Practitioners are observed performing the same design activity collaboratively, supported by paper-based and computer-based tools. Results show that computer tools enhance involvement, motivation, and user's satisfaction as well as their accuracy and time-efficiency.

We have constructed TATIN-PIC, a collaborative work environment consisting of an interactive tabletop and an interactive board, in order to explore phases beyond brainstorming in preliminary design. In this article, we present the TATIN-PIC platform, as well as our evaluation methodology which focuses on crucial face-to-face communication around the interactive tabletop.

The TATIN and TATIN-PIC projects lies at the crossroads of preliminary design and Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design (CSCWD) tools. Those projects studied the impact of multi-touch, multi-users tabletop groupware for co-located teamwork. The projects aim was to observe an improvement of the effectiveness of the preliminary design process when mediated by a CSCWD tool. Along 4 years several design observations have been conducted on specific design methods; each result have been presented independently during past Design Society conferences. This paper regroups and synthesizes all those results to draw a holistic conclusion. Digital intermediary objects represent the (currently) unique advantage of such CSCWD tools, as well as their greatest potential. Digital boosts their traditional role of inter-mediator improving teamwork s perceived productivity and confidence in the results, and open a wide range of possibilities like the interaction with AI systems.