Dynamics of a project through Intermediary Objects of Design (IODs): A sensemaking perspective

Intermediary Objects of Design (IODs) include all objects such as designs, prototypes, descriptive documents and pilot implementations produced by the project team and enclosing an intermediary representation of the final deliverable in some tangible form. In this paper we argue that IODs are media for the process of sensemaking that takes place in projects. We present a grounded classification of IODs based on their form and content, and investigate the association of this classification with the project lifecycle in order to propose a typology capturing the dynamic nature of sensemaking activities in projects.