Micro Analysis of Team Design: Temporal Formation and Dissolution of Subgroups while Designing

In this paper, design teams are analyzed to capture the formation and dissolution of subgroups (teams within teams). Subgroups are identified when a subset of designers collaborates closely at any time in the design. In this study, 19 design teams of three professional engineers are analyzed to capture collaborative interactions between each of the team members. Design teams worked on designing a personal entertainment system for the future during a one-hour session. Protocol analysis is used to study transcripts from these design sessions. By coding the interaction between designers, different collaborative patterns are identified. These patterns show how subgroups of designers are created and evolve over the time of a design session. This temporal analysis captures changes in interaction and leadership as the design session unfolds.