Beyond Divergence: Characterizing Co-exploration Patterns in Collaborative Design Processes

Abstract

Exploration is central to the design process, as it fosters creativity and improves design outcomes. Within design teams, exploration becomes co-exploration—a collaborative and dynamic practice that this study examines. We conducted a five-month longitudinal observational study with 61 students across 16 design teams, using weekly diary interviews to trace the dynamics of co-exploration. From this, we developed a four-dimensional framework that identified five distinct patterns of co-exploration activities. Our findings reveal how co-exploration emerges across diverse activities and team interactions, fostering togetherness and keeping design teams open-minded. This engagement cultivates collective intelligence and enables teams to share knowledge, build upon each other’s ideas, and achieve results that exceed individual contributions. We argue that co-exploration reflects the trajectory of design success and warrants further study. Finally, we provide actionable insights for practitioners seeking to enhance co-exploration in collaborative design.