Standardized observation of team-work in design
In the research project ‘Team-work in Engineering Design Practice’, engineers and psychologists investigate design processes in industry by detailed observation. The aim is to comprehend how the external conditions in conjunction with the individual designer's and the group's prerequisites influence the design process and the solution. Therefore, the design process has to be documented in a standardized form. The paper presents a method for standardized observation of design team-work in industrial practice. In an example of an observed and recorded group setting, some abilities of the protocol analysis methods are demonstrated. After discussing the non-participating observation of design processes with on-line recordings, the planned future work is introduced. Apart from further investigation methods, experiences from first investigations in industry are mentioned.