Using ‘Space’ in Design Thinking: Concepts, Tools and Insights for Design Thinking Practitioners from Research

Differences between remote and analog design thinking through the lens of distributed cognition

“…Collaboration and space are tightly connected with each other. According to Schwemmle et al ( 2021 ), collaborative teams 'create' the space around them, not just by replacing and altering the elements in the space. Rather, the team members construe meaning to the space through interaction with and perception of the space.…”

“…That way, a team can be prompted to work in a self-organized manner, instead of a hierarchical task distribution. In addition, the creation of a social (sub-)space might foster a positive atmosphere and provide them with a safe-space where they can nurture their personal relationships, rather than work on a specific task (Schwemmle et al, 2021 ). This phenomenon not just holds true for the concept of space, but also for ideas (Elsbach and Flynn, 2013 ) where individuals feel like they “own” ideas and show competitive of defensive behavior as part of the “possessive self” (De Dreu and Van Knippenberg, 2005 ).…”

“…For DT practices in an analog setting, it is important to look at the role a physical space plays for the applied practices. The physical space in which a DT workshop takes place is filled with elements such as seating opportunities, tables, flip charts or whiteboards and other physical elements to work with (Schwemmle et al, 2021 ). Especially when working together collaboratively on certain tasks people gather around whiteboards or create sub-spaces within a room with portable walls.…”

“…She rather becomes co-creator of the space through her interaction with spatial elements. If people involved in Design Thinking realize this shift of power and the active role they can take, it allows them to move from accepting space as-is to changing or even preparing a space based on what best suits their requirements.” (Schwemmle et al, 2021 , p. 125)…”

“…Design happens as a conversation “[…] with the problem that is being addressed, with materials and artifacts, with our colleagues and with ourselves” (Sirkin et al, 2012 , p. 173). While often not stated explicitly, the DT workshop in teams of three to five team members can be found in the literature as the preferred modus operandi of co-creative DT activities (see e.g., Brown, 2008 ; Levy and Huli, 2019 ; Schwemmle et al, 2021 ). We attribute this to at least three factors: One being that a workshop can provide a safe space for the participants which can help spark creativity (Daniel, 2020 ).…”