Physual designing is adapted to the needs of teams that are composed of both collocated and distributed members. These combination teams are asymmetric of nature, and this should be taken into consideration when prescribing and implementing collaborative systems for these teams.
Specific challenges include asymmetry of:
- Information; versions and documents
- Presence; trust and control
- Visualization; documents and clues
- Collaborative benefits and costs
- General access to resources
The framework physual designing addresses this asymmetry by ensuring a more uniform access to information and tools. The framework has been tested through a series of empirical studies at NTNU and in the Norwegian oil industry, and through a prototype research arena, the design studio at the Department of Engineering Design and Materials at NTNU. This design studio acts as a manifestation of physual designing as a collaborative approach for dispersed teams.
To facilitate collaborative performance and enhanced overview, visualization and active participation for regular distributed members and occasional contributors, a module streaming live video from the design studio will be displayed on this site soon, together with other collaborative tools.