The Effect of Computer Mediation on Collaborative Designing

There has been considerable research in studying collaborative designing using protocol analysis. However, it is not possible to compare these studies because they use different models and have their own coding schemes. A coding scheme based on the Function-Behaviour-Structure (FBS) ontology has been proposed as the basis of a universal coding scheme that transcends the domain of application, the task being studied, and the number of designers being studied. This paper presents results from using the FBS coding scheme and sequential analysis to study the differences between face-to-face design collaboration and synchronized design collaboration using NetMeeting via the Internet. In this case the formulation and re-formulation processes are richer in the NetMeeting design collaboration. In the face-to-face session they are quicker in arriving at the structure of the design.