Physical, digital, and hybrid setups supporting card-based collaborative design ideation

Abstract

Physical tools and materials like pen, paper, sticky-notes, and whiteboards are commonly used in collaborative creative design processes, whereas digital tools play a more marginal role. But what are the benefits and drawbacks of physical, digital, and hybrid physical-digital setups when it comes to supporting collaborative ideation? To answer this question, we present a study and analysis of three different implementations of a well-established collaborative ideation technique called Inspiration Card Workshop, with physical, digital, and hybrid setups. Each setup is a controlled experiment with three different groups of designers. We analyse the setups in terms of how they support five key aspects of collaborative design. Based on our insights, we present implications for future use of digital tools to support card-based collaborative design ideation, in which we argue for a technically lightweight hybrid workflow setup that builds on well-proven physical and digital components.

Hybrid Design Tools for Participatory, Embodied Sensemaking: An Applied Framework

“…Digital design tools can also make things seem possible or buildable, when they are, in fact, physically impossible. In relation to collaboration, physical tools make it easier than digital tools to divide design areas into personal spaces, and collaborative spaces [40], which can improve participatory, embodied sensemaking [51].…”

Co-designing a co-design tool to strengthen ideation in digital experience design at museums

“…Empirical studies of ideation among designers have emphasized the importance of analog tools (Laamanen and Seitamaa-Hakkarainen 2014;Inie and Dalsgaard 2017). Others have explored ways to integrate analog ideation tools with digital or hybrid systems (Dorta, Pérez, and Lesage 2008;Lundqvist et al 2018). Combining the hybrid approach with the mapping metaphor, Darzentas et al have developed an accompanying augmented reality mapping tool aimed both at supporting a participatory process with hybrid physical/digital ideation cards, as well as offering researchers analytical insight into the process (Wetzel, Rodden, and Benford 2017;Darzentas et al 2019).…”