Lab+7

**Lab 7: Design as a Collaborative Process**
Bill Moggridge, a designer, gave a talk regarding design as a collaborative process. His talk had a strong emphasis over "togetherness" and collaboration as important aspects of design for various reasons. Specifically, Moggridge outlined three reasons why design requires the collaborative element. First of all, there is the consideration of new design practices such as new digital interfaces. Secondly, he brought up the notion of involving the people we design for instead of falling for the common mistake of designing for ourselves. And finally there are the changing contexts which affect design and what design should account for. Putting it all together, designing as a collaborative process should involve various people with various specialties and different backgrounds that can work together towards a common goal.

One example brought up was the design of certain medical appartuses used in surgery. As a collaborative process, actual surgeons and doctors were involved to gain insight of the medical procedures and what works, what doesn't work, what needs to be improved and so forth. This example of collaborative design demonstrates how it is a very good idea to involve the people you are designing for as they are the ones who are to utilize the final product.

Another example mentioned was the collaboration between a number of designers and the author of the popular comic strip Dilbert, Scott Adams. The goal was to design an office cubicle that even Dilbert would like. By collaborating with someone like Scott Adams, a creator of satirical office humor, the intention was to create a more unique cubicle less associated with monotony. Initial designs demonstrated this shift away from the typical monotonous office cubicle while the final design fused the concept of storage with the four walls of the cubicle resulting in a more efficient office space as well as allowing for a more "human" environment.