Decrypting the IT needs of the designer during the creative stages of the design process

Designers are frequently challenged by complex projects in which the problem space is unique, rapidly changing, and the information available is limited. In such cases, combining knowledge from different fields of expertise is required. Furthermore, collaboration during the design process is essential for achieving a meaningful and well-formed solution. Designers therefore regularly find themselves exchanging ideas and reflections in the form of emails, sketches, and images with a group of experts from different backgrounds, working altogether through the creation of a design, its development and proper implementation. This particular chapter focuses especially on issues of synchronous and asynchronous collaboration, team dynamics and the management and monitoring of the early stages of the design process. The overall aim is to identify the essential characteristics and needs of distributed teams when in remote collaboration during the early stages of the design process and to suggest a prototype environment based on the identified requirements and workflow.