Augmenting and multiplying spaces for creative design

Abstract

Creative design is a very peculiar work practice that has not been studied very much from the viewpoint of the cooperation shaping it. In this paper we present the main findings of a case study conducted on an industrial design project with the aim of analyzing how its actors cooperate. The main findings of our field study involve: on the one hand, recognition of the major role played by physical arrangements of the work space in shaping the practice of creative designers; on the other, the distinction between the different work spaces where different phases of a design project are performed. On the basis of discussion of the above we outline the requirements for a cooperative support system for creative design as a system augmenting and multiplying the work spaces where it is performed.