Speculating the Possibilities for Remote Collaborative Design Research. The Experimentations of a Drawing Robot

Abstract

Technology has influenced the field of design throughout history, transforming the making process and the tools used to generate artifacts. We are two design researchers who have worked remotely for the past three years, practicing a critical and speculative approach. Our research uses present technologies to speculate future possibilities for remote design collaboration, where interactions and exchanges are limited to those mediated by technological devices. This paper covers the process, findings, and trajectory of design research, exploring the means through which collaborative making can expand beyond digital platforms, into a physical environment, and produce collaboratively drawn artifacts off the screen. By speculating a future where all collaborative experiences are initiated, explored, and implemented through this robot, this paper challenges the standard remote-collaborative experience in the design process.