Direct talkback in computer supported tools for the conceptual stage of design
During the early stages of the design process, industrial designers are not working towards a clearly specified goal. They are exploring ranges of solutions, while at the same time adjusting and refining the definition of the design goals. In this phase, sketches and other visual material play a large role in supporting an internal dialogue in the designer. In this paper, we argue that this direct form of talkback is underemphasized in current computer-tools for the early stages of the design process. We go on to show how direct talkback is implemented in a prototype of a designer's digital sketchbook, and share some of the results of using this prototype sketchbook for over a year in a designer's sketchbook. Finally, we discuss how some of the concepts, generated for the designer's digital sketchbook, can be generalised for broader applications.
sketching digital sketchbook conceptual phase representational talkback