Helping designers work more efficiently
The DESARTE project analysed aesthetic production practices and their technical support to design a novel work environment for architects and landscape architects. The goal was to construct a flexible computational infrastructure that facilitates the complex, open and collaborative nature that characterises the designers' work. DESARTE focused on computer support for the integration of aesthetic production in the design of artefacts and spaces. It is important to note that designing artefacts and spaces is a very convoluted process of 'reading' and 'writing' in materials. In fact, the DESARTE project provided empirical knowledge needed for constructing an integrated organisational and technical work environment for design. The project provided the technical facilities required for designing multimedia documents, linking documents, and cooperating with design concepts over distances. Non-routine and aesthetic work practices are facilitated and are based on specific requirements, such as language. This electronic computer work environment integrated already existing design tools into a collaborative environment that facilitates designers' practices and distributed locations. It also facilitated designer interaction with marketing and production professionals, and users such as fabricators. The project analysed many design areas, work settings and end-users as a part of the project's interdisciplinary methodology. One aspect of DESARTE is anchor-based hyperlinkage that allows linking in and out of documents that cannot be modified, unlike WWW hyperlinkage. In addition, the underlying storage mechanism will be enhanced for designing a more efficient storage layer. The future prototypes include an environment supporting inspirational insights and initial design visions for use by designers of new artefacts. An environment facilitating the tasks done during an artefact's construction is another future prototype.
