research notebook

A research notebook is a place for gathering ideas during the process of creating new work. The ideas can be spontaneous, or the result of planning. Entries can address issues in many areas: concept, design, interaction, experience, visualization, architecture, software, error handling, components, translation. What issues are arising as you work? What new problems are important? What solutions are plausible? How can you connect the issues at hand with your plans? How are your plans becoming transformed through iterative design?

What issues are arising as you work? What new problems are important? What solutions are plausible? How can you connect the issues at hand with your plans? How are your plans becoming transformed through iterative design?

Many media and forms make sense in the research notebook: text, images, sketches, diagrams, flow charts, algorithms, code snippets, audio and video clips. Connect found objects to authored ones.

Choose from among these tools: pencil & paper, Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, Visio, OmniGraffle, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Sketchup, Google, IdeaMache, and whatever else seems useful.

Think. Dig deep. Figure things out. Allow yourself to wonder. Express!

Your entry will be evaluated based on criteria connecting, form, content, and innovation:
  • Development of ideas connected to the evolution of your project.
  • Clarity of exposition and organization. Make sure we can understand what you are working and how.
  • Transformation. Show how your ideas about the project, both conceptually and at the implementation level, evolve.