Co-designing augmented reality: exploring the role of boundary negotiating artifacts

ABSTRACTThere is a consensus in the literature that interdisciplinarity fosters greater innovation within co-design teams, however, systematic approaches for how experiential knowledge is shared between team members remains underexplored. This study examines the role of artifacts created by a team of interdisciplinary students during the process of co-designing augmented reality (AR) technology for a hybrid interior environment in an academic incubator building. The project emphasises the role of end-users as co-creators across phases of the design process, with collaborative work unexpectedly shifting from in-person to virtual practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Artifacts created by team members and in-depth interviews are analysed to examine how experiential knowledge was developed and shared between students from different majors. In addition to the development team data, this study draws on concurrent think-aloud data from other end-users about the AR-application prototype. The findings indicate the role of sharing scene demos, storyboards, and mock-ups as ‘boundary-negotiating artifacts’ which helped team members develop a common language for sharing key aspects of the AR development process. This study suggests a framework for intentional development of boundary-negotiating artifacts based on phases of the co-design process for further technology-based collaboration on interdisciplinary teams.KEYWORDS: Augmented realityco-designboundary-negotiating-artifactsembodimenthybrid environmentsmobile-AR AcknowledgmentsWe would like to thank and acknowledge the interdisciplinary team who contributed to this project as well as all the students who participated as part of the CoDT or as end users (EU). We also appreciate the feedback from the reviewers.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1. Electronic Art is a studio concentration in the BFA degree where students utilise computer software and code to create digital fine art.2. See Scolere and Malinin (Citation2023) for more information about outcome of this project related to the role of AR affordances in hybrid interior environments.3. Digital-physical integration is one criteria defining AR (Azuma Citation1997).4. As facilitators of the process, the authors recognize their roles as part of the participatory and co-design processes.5. This paper includes the interview data from three key members of the CoDT. There were six additional CoDT contributors to the project and artifact development (ID = 1, CS = 5.)6. Concurrent think-aloud (Alhadreti and Mayhew Citation2018; Hanington and Martin Citation2019) is method where end-users describe what they are thinking, feeling, and doing while using the AR-app. The researcher walked alongside the participant to observe real-time experience including reactions and expressions.7. Snowball sampling (Parker, Scott, and Geddes Citation2019) is a recruitment method commonly used in qualitative research where researchers start with a small number of qualified participants who recommend additional qualified participants.8. Varying widely in style, storyboards have played a long standing role across phases of the design process to communicate design concepts within a design team and to end-users (Truong, Hayes, and Abowd Citation2006; van der Lelie Citation2006).9. See Scolere and Malinin (Citation2023) for development of beta application piloted through a temporary testflight applicationAdditional informationFundingThe work was supported by the American Society of Interior Designers Foundation (ASIDF).