Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Survey of collaborative drawing support tools

Design perspectives and prototypes

  • Published:
Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Along with recent experiments in the design of communication or computer tools for supporting various kinds of group working, the development ofcollaborative drawing systems has emerged as a notable research area within the field of Computer-Supported Cooperative Work. This paper reports a survey of the experiments in collaborative drawing support tools with an objective of reviewing how the issues of supportingcollaborative design have been addressed by the research prototypes. The survey is presented in three parts: (1) findings from the observations of group interaction in drawing and design activities, (2) a framework for classifying the design issues experimented with by prototypes developers, and (3) a categorisation of the current prototype systems by interrelating the patterns of group use observed with the system features classified. The survey indicates that there are currently at least three different strategies of developing collaborative drawing support tools, which reflect the existence of diversified understanding and technological responses to what and how human collaboration in design may be supported.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bal, H.E., Steiner, J.G. and Tanenbaum, A.S. September, 1989. Programming Languages for Distributed Computing Systems.ACM Computing Survey, 21(3):261–322.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bly, S.L. and Minneman, S.L. 1989. Commune: A Shared Drawing Surface. Technical Report SSL-89-86, System Sciences Laboratory, Palo Alto Research Center.

  • Bly, S.L. 1988. A Use of Drawing Surfaces in Different Collaborative Settings. In ed. I. Greif,Proceedings of the Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW' 88), 250–256, ACM Press.

  • Brinck, T. and Gomez, L.M. 1992. A Collaborative Medium for the Support of Conversational Props. In (eds)Proceedings of CSCW' 92, Turner, J. and Kraut, R. 171–178. New York: ACM Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brink, T. 1993. Building Shared Graphical Editor Using the Abstraction-Link View Architecture. To appear inProceedings of ECSCW' 93 (European Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, Milano, Italy, September, 1993).

  • Conklin, J and Begeman, M.L. October 1988. gIBIS: A Hypertext Tools for Exploratory Policy Discussion.ACM Transaction on Office Information Systems, 6(4): 303–331.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crampton, C. 1987. MUSK a Multi-User Sketch Program. InProceedings of the European UNIX Systems User Group, 17–29.

  • Dewan, P. and Choudhary, R. 1991a. Flexible User Interface Coupling in a Collaborative System. InProceedings of the ACM CHI'91 Conference, 41–48. ACM Press.

  • Dewan, P. and Choudhary, R. 1991b. Primitives for Programming Multi-User Interfaces. InProceedings of the ACM Symposium on User Interfaced Software and Technology (UIST' 91), 69–78. ACM Press.

  • Ellis, C.A., Gibbs, S.J., and Rein, G.L. 1991. Groupware: Some Issues and Experiences.Communications of the ACM 34(1): 39–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer, G., Lemke, A., Mastaglio, T. and Mastaglio I, Morch, A. April 1991. The Role of Critiquing in Cooperative Problem Solving.ACM Transactions on Information Systems, 9(3): 123–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer, G., Grudin, J., Lemke, A., McCall, R., Ostwald, J., Reeves, B. and Shipman, F. 1992. Supporting Indirect, Collaborative Design with Integrated Knowledge-based Design Environments.Human Computer Interaction 7(3): 281–314.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, S. and Bohnet, R. 1991. GroupSketch: A Multi-user Sketchpad for Geographically-distributed Small Groups. InProceedings of Graphics Interface '91, pp. 207–215, Calgary, Alberta, June 5–7, Morgan Kaufmann.

  • Greenberg, S. July 1991. An Annotated Bibliography of Computer Supported Cooperative Work.SIGCHI Bulletin 23(3): 29–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, S., Roseman, M., Webster, D. and Bohnet, R. July 1992. Human and Technical Factors of Distributed Group Drawing Tools. Interacting with Computers, 4(1), pp. 364–392, December. Butterworth Heinemann.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ishii, H. 1990. Team WorkStation: Towards a Seamless Shared Workspace. InProceedings of CSCW' 90, 13–26.

  • Ishii, H. and Ohkubo, M. 1990. Design of TeamWorkStation: A Realtime Shared Workspace Fusing Desktops and Computer Screen. InProceedings of IFIP WG8.4 Conference on Multi-User Interfaces and Applications, eds. S. Gibbs and A.A., Verrighn-Stuart. North Holland.

  • Ihsii, H. and Arita, K. 1991. ClearFace: Translucent Multiuser Interface for TeamWorkStation. InProceedings of ECSCW' 91, eds. L. Bannon, M. Robinson and K. Schmit, 163–174.

  • Ishii, H. and Miyake, N. December 1991. Toward an Open Shared Workspace: Computer and Video Fusion Approach of TeamWorkStation. Communicationsof the ACM 34(12): 37–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ishii, H. and Kobayashi, M. 1992. ClearBoard: A Seamless Media for Shared Drawing and Conversation with Eye-Contact. InProceedings of CHI' 92, 525–532, ACM Press.

  • Ishii, H., Kobayashi, M. and Grudin, J. 1992. Integration of Inter-Personal Space and Shared Workspace: ClearBoard Design and Experiments. InProceedings of CSCW' 92, eds. J. Turner and R. Kraut, 33–42, New York: ACM Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kunz, W. and Rittel, H.W.J. 1970. Issues as Elements of Information Systems. Technical Report 131, Institute of Urban and Regional Development, University of California, Berkeley, California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lakin, F. 1983. Measuring Text-graphic Activity. InProceedings of the GRAPHICS INTERFACE' 83, Edmonton, Alberta.

  • Lakin, F. 1986. Spatial Parsing for Visual Languages. In eds. S.K. Chang, T. Ichikawa and A.P. Ligomenides.Visual languages, 35–85. Plenum Press.

  • Lakin, F. 1988. A Performing Medium for Working Group Graphics. InComputer Supported Cooperative Work: A Book of Readings, ed. I. Greif, 366–396. Morgan Kaufman Publishers.

  • lakin, F. 1990. Visual Languages for Cooperation: A Performing Medium Approach to Systems for Cooperative Work. In eds. J. Galegher, R.E. Kraut and C. Egido.Intellectual TeamWork: Social and Technological Foundations of Cooperative Work, 453–488. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

  • Lu, I.M. and Mantei, M. 1991. Idea Management in a Shared Drawing Tool. In eds.Proceedings of ECSCW' 91. L. Bannon, M. Robinson and K. Schmit, 97–112. Kluwer Academic Publishers.

  • Lu, I.M. 1992. Supporting Idea Management in a Shared Drawing Tool. Unpublished Master Thesis, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto.

  • Minneman, S.L. and Bly, S.A. 1991. Managing á Trois: A Study of a Multi-user Drawing Tool in Distributed Design Work. InProceedings of the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 217–224. ACM Press.

  • Patterson, J.F. 1991. Comparing the Programming Demands of Single-user and Multi-user Applications. InProceedings of the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST' 91), 87–94.

  • Reeves, B. and Shipman, F. 1992. Supporting Communication between Designers with Artifact-Centered Evolving Information Spaces. InProceedings of CSCW' 92, eds. J. Turner and R. Kraut, 394–401. New York: ACM Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rein, G.L., and Ellis, C.A. 1991. rIBIS: A Real-time Group Hypertext Systems. InInternational Journal of Man-Machine Studies (34): 349–367. Also inComputer-supported Cooperative Work and Groupware, ed. S. Greenberg, 223–242. London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodden, T. December 1991. A Survey of CSCW Systems.Interacting with Computers 3(3): 319–353.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schön, D. 1985.The Design Studio: An Exploration of its Tradition and Potentials, 30–52. RIBA Publications Ltd.

  • Silverman, B.G. April 1992. Survey of Expert Critiquing Systems. Practical and Theoretical Frontiers.Communications of the ACM 35(4): 106–127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sloman, M. and Kramer, J. 1987.Distributed Systems and Computer Network, 128–129. Prentice-Hall.

  • Star, S.L. 1989. The Structure of Ill-structured Solutions: Boundary Objects and heterogeneous Distributed Problem Solving. InDistributed Artificial Intelligence Vol. 2 (Research Notes in Artificial Intelligence), eds. Les Gasser and M.N. Huhns, 37–53. London: Pitman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stefik, M., Foster, G., Bobrow, D., Kahn, K., Lanning, S. and Suchman, L. 1987. Beyond the Chalkboard: Computer Support for Collaboration and Problem Solving in Meetings.Communications of the ACM 30(1): 32–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang, J.C. and Leifer, L.J. 1988. A Framework for Understanding the Workspace Activity of Design Teams. InProceedings of the Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW' 88), 26–28. ACM Press.

  • Tang, J.C. and Minneman, S.L. April 1991a. VideoDraw: A Video Interface for Collaborative Drawing.ACM Transactions on Information Systems 9(2): 170–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang, J.C. and Minneman, S.L. 1991b. VideoWhiteBoard: Video Shadows to Support Remote Collaboration.Proceedings of the ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing System, 315–322. ACM Press.

  • Tang, J.C. 1989. Listing, Drawing, and Gesturing in Design: A Study of the Use of Shared Workspace by Design Teams. Technical Report SSL-89-3, Palo Alto Research Center, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang, J.C. 1991. Findings from Observational Studies of Collaborative Work.International Journal of Man Machine Studies, 34: 143–160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tatar, D.G., Foster, G., and Bobrow, D. 1991. Design for Conversation: Lessons from Cognoter. In ed. S. Greenberg.Computer-supported Cooperative Work and Groupware. 55–80. London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vergopoulos, S. 1991. A Multi-layered Model for Interpreting Design Drawings. InProceedings of the EuropIA 91, 150–167.

  • Wilson, P. 1991.Computer Supported Cooperative Work: An Introduction. Dordrecht: Oxford Intellect, Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, C.G., Rhyne, J.R. and Zorman, L.A. 1991. WE-MET (Window Environment-Meeting Enhancement Tools).CHI' 91 Proceedings, 441–442.

  • Wolf, C.G., Rhyne, J.R. and Briggs, L.K. 1992. Communication and Information Retrieval with a Pen-based Meeting Support Tool. InProceedings of CSCW' 92 eds. J. Turner and R. Kraut, 322–329. New York: ACM Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woods, F. and Powell, J. 1987.Overlay Drafting: A Primer for the Building Design Team. London: Architectural Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Chengzhi Peng

    Present address: Information Technology Research Institute, University of Brighton, Lewes Road, BN2 4AT, Brighton, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. EdCAAD, University of Edinburgh, 20 Chambers Street, EHI IJZ, Edingburgh, UK

    Chengzhi Peng

Authors
  1. Chengzhi Peng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Peng, C. Survey of collaborative drawing support tools. Comput Supported Coop Work 1, 197–228 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00752438

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00752438

Keywords

Search

Navigation