Re: thinking and designing a digital sketchbook

Abstract

Why are digital tools not replacing traditional sketchbooks? Described here is a research-led teaching project to explore the fundamentals of sketchbook use. An analysis of real world sketchbooks, artists' statements and semi-structured interviews is presented that reveals the complex of interrelated activities that sketchbooks support. Csikszentmihalyi's creative systems model is used to frame this analysis, highlighting the role of sketchbooks as a support tool across the creative system. Initial prototypes of interface components for an iPad app are explored and discussed as part of a student project. Insights are provided into how to re-design digital sketchbooks in order to support activities across the creative system in a holistic way.

Keywords:

• creativity
• sketchbooks
• interfaces
• systems model

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the following students wo took part in this research project:  Louisa Barrett;  Laura Cammidge;  Stuart Clift; Finlay Craig;  J. J. Cranston;  Mark Cruickshank;  Clare Doogan; Christopher Dow; Stephen Dwyer; Steven Fullerton;  Fiona Harkins; Shaun Jeffries; Mira Kirvesmaki; Cassie Morrison; Greg Scott; Katie Smith;  Catriona Suiter;  Andrew Swindail;  Roderick Tan; and Virginia Vila Palacin. 

Additional information

Dr Shaleph J. O'Neill is a Senior Lecturer/Researcher at the University of Dundee who has worked on a number of interaction design projects that explore user sense-making (usability) processes and creative activities (BENOGO, EU Presence Initiative, IST-2001-39184, Leonardo: Culture Creativity and Interaction Design, EPSRC GR/T21042/01). His expertise lies in the area of semiotics and user interface design. He is author of Interactive Media: The Semiotics of Embodied Interaction (Springer, 2008) and has recently completed leading an EPSRC-funded project to look into ways of improving creative technologies for creative practitioners (‘Making Sense of Creative Interactions’, EPSRC F053029/1). His research focus is to better understand the relationship between user experience and the meanings embedded in multiple and distributed media interfaces of various sorts from traditional to interactive media.