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Knowledge Base Repository

In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.

The shape of teamwork: visualising collective design dynamics through synergy bands

Chiu, Matt (1); Silva, Arlindo (2); Makany, Tamas (3)

Type:
Papers
DS 145: Proceedings of the DESIGN2026 19th International Design Conference
Year:
2026
Editor:
Štorga, M.; Škec, S.; Martinec, T.; Marjanović, D.; Pavković, N.
Author:
Chiu, Matt (1); Silva, Arlindo (2); Makany, Tamas (3)
Series:
DESIGN
Institution:
1: Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Singapore (NAFA-UAS), Singapore; 2: Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore; 3: Singapore Management University, Singapore
Page(s):
2911-2919
DOI number:
10.1017/pds.2026.10649
ISSN:
2732-527X (Online)
Abstract:
Divergence and convergence are central to design processes, but can these patterns be made visible, and what might they reveal? This paper examines design team dynamics through NLP by tracing cognitive trajectories in weekly reflections. Textual data are transformed into numerical values and plotted in a Synergy Diagram, enabling instructors to monitor team bands. This paper consists of a four year study covers 48 project teams and 250 participants, comparing team bands across multiple bandwidth measures and showing how they vary against a design outcome, such as total grades (TG).
Keywords:
design education, double diamond, natural language processing (NLP), team dynamics, design cognition
DESIGN2026 - The 19th International Design Conference
Conferences

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