Collections designers keep: Collecting visual material for inspiration and reference

Abstract

A contextual inquiry is presented on how designers collect and organize visual material that they use for inspiration in their design process. The inquiry is a follow-up on a inquiry performed over ten years ago by one of the authors. The aim of the inquiry was to find considerations for a tool that helps designers in collecting visual material. The inquiry was performed at six Dutch design agencies and involved sensitizing the subjects through cultural probes. The designers reported collecting as a continuous background process without specific stages, processes or tools in the design process. Collections of visual material are used in making collages, which are all made using computers. Collected visual material is usually physical, whereas the visual material used in the collages are all digital images. The physical and digital collections are different in use and value in the design process. The paper finally presents six considerations for a tool to support the collecting behaviour by designers.