Framework

Collaborative creativity is a dynamic process where members of a group (i.e. a design team) constantly switch from working as a group, a sub-group or individually. Due to detrimental impact of social influences on creativity it is essential that creativity support tools facilitate the dynamic processes of collaborative creativity without introducing constraints.

PSPD utilises the different interaction spaces inherent in different technologies - a tabletop (public), a tablet PC (social) and a PDA (private). It is left up to the users of the PSPD to adopt these technologies as they see fit to support them throughout the design process. The design for PSPD was based on a framework developed by Vassilis Kostakos at the University of Bath for designing pervasive computing system. This framework was modified from the domain of the pervasive environment to that of a groupware environment.

The framework is made up of 3 many elements: Space; Interaction Space; and, Sphere. Space refers to physical space. Interaction Space refers to the field of participation given by a technology. Sphere refers to the information we are dealing with. In this framework the terms public, social and private map onto our levels of group, sub-group and individual respectively. The solid lines show acceptable design decisions between space, interaction space and spheres. Whereas the dotted-lines identify potential conflict.

In the domain of design environments, PSPD is designed for a static collaboratory in which different stakeholders can come together to engage in the creative activity of design in a face-to-face setting. Therefore, as we are looking at a space to be public.

Within this public space in which we have stakeholders coming together, we have three technologies which provide public, social and private interaction spaces to support the group working together, sub-groups and individuals working on there own.

From these different compositions (group, sub-group and individual) which are inherent in collaborative activities, we result in the production of different levels of information - public, social and private.

Below, we can see a simplified framework provided by PSPD:

PSPD supports the creative process of concept sketching on an group, sub-group and group level through the use of interaction spaces inherent in the different technologies. The share capability of PSPD allows sketches to be shared between levels - public, social and private. Any sketch belonging to the public domain can be accessed by any level. A sketch belonging to the social level can only be accessed by an individual belonging to the sub-group in question and the sub-group itself. No one can access a private level sketch apart from the creator. Individual and sub-group levels can give sketches to any other level, transforming the information from private or social information to social or public information dependent on the permission levels given by the user. This framework supports the privacy of information between the various technologies, controlling social influences upon creativity.