MikiWiki: A meta-design framework for collaboration

Abstract

The Hive-Mind Space (HMS) model has been proposed to support distributed multidisciplinary design teams' collaboration and to tackle co-evolution of systems and users. The evolving design problems that cannot be predicted at design time require systems that have enough flexibility and tailorability to cope with emergent unexpected requirements. This paper presents MikiWiki, a prototype and meta-design framework developed to test the feasibility of the HMS model and to evaluate it. Habitable environments and boundary objects notions, being core elements of the HMS, are explicitly supported by MikiWiki on top of a programmable wiki modelled around meta-design principles. MikiWiki provides a common collaboration context and provides opportunities for design communities to build domain-oriented environments. Tailorable environments and pages provide users with the opportunity to autonomously evolve their tools and practices, while being aware of activities of others.