The ideation gap:: hybrid tools, design flow and practice

Ideation is still done with traditional analog manual tools because current computer interfaces are inconsistent with the needs of designers. The Hybrid Ideation Space (HIS) was developed to respond to this lack by augmenting analog tools with digital capabilities respecting the designer's needs for uninterrupted reflective conversation with the representation that should, in turn, enrich ideation. To assess ideation, we have developed the notion of Design Flow, which considers the pattern of multiple dimensions involved in ideation. Design practitioners testing the HIS showed that ideation was well supported in synchronous, individual or team settings.