ArchiBrain: A Conceptual Platform for the Visualization of Collaborative Design

The network effects of the digital age have made it easier for individuals to collaborate with others to produce meaningful content from the bottom up. Architectural and urban design could benefit from these new forms of distributed collaboration, since they have the potential to introduce a wealth of knowledge and creativity in the design process. In this paper, we present a prototype online platform called 'ArchiBrain' that is built around a 'project-tree' visualization of individual design contributions, which provides participants with a structured overview of the design process they are collaborating in. Our evaluation study provides the first indications that this visualization platform is able to increase the intrinsic motivation for designers to contribute in a collaborative manner, provides a clear overview over the design process, and can help directing collaborative efforts by highlighting the most popular design proposals.