Elisabeth Sylvan

Abstract

Complex design tasks often require that people work in groups on creative solutions. This paper propose a methodology for understanding when social creativity occurs during design activities. The methodology put forth in this paper considers how individuals working on a common task adopt each other's ideas and then reincorporate them into their own creations. It combines diverse sampling techniques and related analytical methodologies, including experience sampling, social network analysis, and the use of computational handhelds. Through the combinations of research methods, this paper proposes new ways of understanding how people influence each other's work and how they co-create.