Physical, digital, and hybrid setups supporting card-based collaborative design ideation

Abstract

Physical tools and materials like pen, paper, sticky-notes, and whiteboards are commonly used in collaborative creative design processes, whereas digital tools play a more marginal role. But what are the benefits and drawbacks of physical, digital, and hybrid physical-digital setups when it comes to supporting collaborative ideation? To answer this question, we present a study and analysis of three different implementations of a well-established collaborative ideation technique called Inspiration Card Workshop, with physical, digital, and hybrid setups. Each setup is a controlled experiment with three different groups of designers. We analyse the setups in terms of how they support five key aspects of collaborative design. Based on our insights, we present implications for future use of digital tools to support card-based collaborative design ideation, in which we argue for a technically lightweight hybrid workflow setup that builds on well-proven physical and digital components.