Tiffany Tseng, Mitchel Resnick

Abstract

Despite the growth of online communities for sharing DIY projects, little research has focused on the methods by which project documentation is created and utilized – that is, what techniques do designers use to document their work, how do they describe their work to others, and how do readers utilize design documentation in the context of their own projects? Through interviews and surveys with authors and readers of Instructables, we describe differences found in the practices of these two types of users in creating and applying design documentation. Based on the results, we identify design opportunities for members of the HCI community developing tools to better support people sharing creative work online.