Leveraging Disciplinary and Cultural Diversity in the Conceptualization Stages of Design

Abstract

This paper explores the involvement of increasingly diverse viewpoints in design and makes a case for how using low fidelity 3D prototyping in conceptualization stages might be able to leverage these viewpoints. It compares traditional uni-disciplinary methods with interdisciplinary and cross-cultural collaboration and explores why this might be relevant at this time. It also examines how participants can be embodied in the early design process to allow divergent cultural and disciplinary perspectives to emerge and develop more sophisticated and innovative designs with a global scope. The paper also explains some challenges with collaborative cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary approaches, and offers recommendations while suggesting areas of influence that could be looked at in further research.