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Collaborative Creativity

Introduction​

This paper explores how interdisciplinary collaboration impacts creativity, particularly within teams comprising artists and technologists. Drawing from experiences in a sound design company and the COSTART artist-in-residency project, it identifies distinct collaboration models and outlines strategies for enhancing creativity through collaborative tools.

Target​

The insights are highly relevant for software that supports interdisciplinary collaboration, especially in creative fields such as multimedia design, music production, and technology-enhanced art.

Key Insights​

  • Three Models of Collaboration:
    • Assistant Model: Common in commercial settings, collaborators complete isolated tasks with minimal interaction, often joining the project briefly.
    • Full Partnership Model: Requires shared goals and balanced contribution, enabling team members to retain individual ownership while working collaboratively.
    • Partnership with Artist Control: Allows the artist to lead, with technologists contributing to fulfill the artistic vision.
  • Shared Language Development: Establishing common terminology and metaphors is crucial in bridging disciplinary gaps, allowing artists and technologists to communicate effectively.
  • Visualization and Prototyping: Non-verbal methods, such as sketches or sound samples, help collaborators align on artistic intentions and reduce misunderstandings.
  • Importance of Capturing Design History: Documenting the evolution of ideas supports shared understanding and allows collaborators to revisit decisions, benefiting ongoing creative development.

Supporting Data​

The paper includes qualitative insights from two case studies: a sound design firm and the COSTART project, showcasing the practical application of collaboration models.

Other Insights​

  • Knowledge Sharing: Effective collaboration often stems from complementary skill sets rather than identical ones, where knowledge exchange stimulates creativity.
  • Role of Cognitive Styles: Different cognitive approaches (e.g., linear for designers, exploratory for artists) need distinct tool support to facilitate diverse creative methods.

Practical Applications​

  • Build Shared Language Tools: Support collaborative teams with tools that help develop and document shared terminology, possibly with task-dependent, customizable vocabularies.
  • Encourage Non-verbal Communication: Enable easy sharing and annotation of multimedia sketches, flowcharts, and prototypes to aid non-verbal communication of creative ideas.
  • Document Creative Histories: Implement tools that capture the evolution of creative decisions, allowing team members to trace and revisit idea development as needed.
  • Foster Knowledge Exchange: Design CST to facilitate knowledge sharing across disciplines, perhaps by integrating features like shared case studies or collaborative drawing tools.

Reference​

Mamykina, L., Candy, L., & Edmonds, E. 2002. Collaborative Creativity. Communications of the ACM, 45(10), 96–99.