Architectural Design Spaces and Interpersonal Communication-Changes in Design Vocabulary and Language Expression

This paper addresses communication during the design process and the mutations it may undergo depending on the medium of design. Three experimental observations were held with students in the context of architectural digital design studios. Each of them was performed when the students were working on a design problem, in groups of two or three, with different design mediums: cardboard mock-up or modelling software with one or two mice used for interaction with the computer. The methodology used for analysing the recorded video and graphical data is based on previous research work in the domains of collaborative communication as well as in the domain of design. It combines purely qualitative interpretation with graphical linkographic analysis. A software prototype was developed in order to allow for an interactive category assignment, exploration and interaction. Gesture, verbal language and design space are studied in order to determine their dependence on the medium and the eventual impact this might have either on the design process or on the object being designed.