ReflectionSpace: An Interactive Visualization Tool for Supporting Reflection-on-action in Design

Reflection-in- and -on-action are key elements of creative design. While reflection-in-action has been often studied, reflection-on-action has received less attention. In this paper, we fill this gap by first reporting results from in-depth interviews (N=12) with practicing designers aimed at understanding activities related to reflection-on-action. We found that activities related to reflection-on-action are intentional, repetitive and frequent, design materials are the primary aids for reflective activities, and there is a strong need for better reflection support tools. To address this need, we designed, implemented and evaluated a novel interactive visualization tool – ReflectionSpace. The tool uses file meta-data and naming conventions to map design materials to the appropriate design phase and context of use and places corresponding representations in a time- and activity-centric visualization that can be navigated at different levels of detail. User feedback from a comparative study reveals that such a representation of design process is more beneficial and preferred relative to the traditional file-centric approach for fostering reflection-on-action.