Understanding Collaborative Design Through Activity Theory

Zahedi, Mithra; Tessier, Virginie; Hawey, Dave

doi:10.1080/14606925.2017.1352958

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Extensively used in psychological, educational and ethnographic studies (Engeström 1987, 1993, 1999), it has somehow remained largely unexplored and undervalued in design research. This research identified some studies using CHAT in human–computer interaction (Gay & Hembrooke 2004; Nardi 1996b; Kuutti 1996, 2009; Karasti 2001; Sam 2012), interaction design (Kaptelinin & Nardi 2006), service design (Sangiorgi 2009; Menichinelli 2015) and a few studies in collaborative design (see Zahedi et al 2017) exploring the value of CHAT as the lens to explain design situations.…”

Section: Theoretical Framework: Cultural‐historical Activity Theory (mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Zahedi et al (2017) identify two applications of CHAT in design: (i) as a tool to uncover disturbances in design processes, usually applied at early stages assisting in the co‐articulation of issues; and (ii) as an analytical framework to study human synergies in collaborative design. Creating a visual analysis tool, using the CHAT triangular model (see Figure 1) as a mapping tool, attached to a timeline with periodic intervals, they visualise group dynamics.…”

Section: Theoretical Framework: Cultural‐historical Activity Theory (mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Creating Spaces for Collaboration in Community Co‐design

Calvo¹,

Sclater²

2021

Int J Art Design Ed

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Urgent societal challenges have led to unease in our socio‐cultural interactions and the production systems that underpin our lives. To confront such challenges, collaboration stands out as an essential approach in accomplishing joint goals and producing new knowledge. It calls for interdisciplinary methodologies such as co‐design, an approach capable of bridging multiple expertise. The core activities of co‐design are based on the premise of collaboration and on developing creative social environments. Yet achieving collaboration through co‐design is challenging as people need to understand each other, and develop trust and rapport. We argue that ‘informal‐mutual learning’ is central to building mutual understanding. This article explores how we create spaces for collaboration through co‐design by examining the social environments supporting them. It examines the value of collaboration and its impact upon participants within an action research project conducted in Scotland. We identified Cultural‐Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as a suitable theoretical framework. It offers support for holistic inquiry into participation and learning. Its strength was in the attention that it pays to multi‐dimensional human interactions within the social environment. This led to an understanding of the concepts of boundary‐crossing and boundary space examined through a CHAT lens. The findings shed light on four designerly conditions supporting informal‐mutual learning when engaged in collaboration during co‐design situations: choreography and orchestration, aesthetics, playfulness, and quality and quantity of participation. The findings enable us to elaborate on the theorisation of boundary space, a theoretical space for the assemblage of multiple levels of expertise to achieve collaboration.

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Section: Theoretical Framework: Cultural‐historical Activity Theory (mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theoretical Framework: Cultural‐historical Activity Theory (mentioning

confidence: 99%

Creating Spaces for Collaboration in Community Co‐design

Calvo¹,

Sclater²

2021

Int J Art Design Ed

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“…Activity theory (AT) finds its origins in the works of Lev Vygotsky and Alexei Leontiev. The fundamental concepts and principles of the theory have been examined in past design-related publications of the authors (Zahedi et al, 2017;2018a;2018b). These research initiatives have confirmed the potential of the theory for design research to translate the complexity of its process, guide the analysis of actions and gain in-depth insights into social interactions, but -to our knowledge-have never been documented according to RtD.…”

Section: Activity Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Novice Designers Tackle and Reflect on Their Process Using the Designerly Activity Theory

Tessier

Zahedi

2021

Proc. Des. Soc.

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Schön used the metaphor of the swamp and mountain to express the divide between the problems tackled by practitioners and scientists. This research is concerned about the same persisting dilemma between design practice and design theory. In an attempt to discuss this dilemma, we propose to explore research through design (RtD) as a privileged approach where novice designers gain knowledge as practitioners and as researchers. Being aware that RtD approach has received criticisms regarding validity, bias and reliability, we put forward a set of theoretical tools allowing designers to simultaneously proceed with design activity and data gathering processes. To do so, the designerly activity theory framework was presented and explained to two novice designers. They were asked to use the theory's model during an internship project experience, to record their daily actions and later, to proceed with analysis of gathered data. Doing so, we gained a clearer interpretation of the impacts of using a theoretical model as a complement for research through design. We discuss the depth of the participants' reflections, the awareness to less noticeable components, and the enriched dialog between practice and theory.

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“…Each case study combined the expertise of a multidisciplinary team of graduates. The first case study has been analyzed and discussed in a previous article (Zahedi, Tessier & Hawey, 2017). The methodological approach that we present here is built on the enriched understanding of the first case study and the analysis of a second case study.…”

Section: Purpose Of the Study And Planningmentioning

confidence: 99%

DRS2018: Catalyst

Storni¹,

Leahy²,

McMahon³

et al. 2018

Proceedings of DRS

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Attention is drawn to the different ways in which art, science and technology are included in the curricula of these educational programmes. Contents and goals of teaching refer to features of laboratories and methods of work. An attempt is made to show how the metaphor of the laboratory was used to establish these programmes. The experimental character of the programmes and the changes from "pseudo-laboratory conditions" to "real-studio conditions" are discussed. The selected programmes can be characterised thematically, methodologically and metaphorically. The issue is to discuss design education not only as a technical but also as a social phenomenon. design history, design research, design education 7The programmes reviewed have in common that they attempted to reform design and research by relying on the metaphor of the laboratory. The question was raised whether art could be regarded as laboratory work. This paper examines the laboratories through a review of the literature. Looking into the programmes of Ladovsky and Jones is difficult because the documentary material is limited or not open to the public. Analysing the laboratories and studios is also affected by the fact that the original work of Ladovsky, Rhode, Kiesler, Jones and Gershenfeld has in the meantime been modified and translated. Knowledge of the original experimental processes is therefore rather hypothetical (Latour & Woolgar 1986, pp. 172-174). The creation of reference by permanently translating between matter and form is a possible method for assessing studio work (Latour 1999, p. 69f). Earlier steps are reconstructed within a reference chain.

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Understanding Collaborative Design Through Activity Theory

Cited by 11 publications

References 15 publications

Creating Spaces for Collaboration in Community Co‐design

Creating Spaces for Collaboration in Community Co‐design

Novice Designers Tackle and Reflect on Their Process Using the Designerly Activity Theory

DRS2018: Catalyst

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