Technological mediation for design collaboration

As the new century opens, work processes have been reengineered, shifting from Tayloristic models of sequential specialization toward work processes that are concurrent and multidisciplinary. This shift in work processes puts a premium on design collaborations in which members of project teams go beyond the simple coordination of still individualistic work to engage in joint activity aimed at the co-construction of "collective work products". In this paper, we outline five basic characteristics emerging from a small but important body of work describing design collaboration. We then go on to suggest why most common collaborative technologies provide poor support for these characteristics, although recent trends are moving in promising directions. We conclude by outlining four criteria which technological mediation for design collaboration must meet in order to effectively support this new kind of work practice. These criteria can assist practitioners in evaluating the ever-changing and ever-increasing number of collaborative technologies.