WebOutliner: A Web-Based Tool for Collaborative Space Programming and Design (2000)
article⁄WebOutliner: A Web-Based Tool for Collaborative Space Programming and Design (2000)
abstract⁄This paper discusses a webbased tool that allows members of a design team to collaboratively specify a hierarchical spatial program for an architectural project. Given its object orientation, the represented artifacts have builtin data and methods that allow them to respond to user actions and manage their own subartifacts. Given that these components are hierarchical allows users to filter information, analyze and compare design parameters and aggregate hierarchical amounts in realtime. Furthermore, the software goes beyond outlining functions to support synchronous collaborative design by linking each item in the spatial program to a detail page that allows file uploading, realtime group marking of images, and textual chat. Thus, the software offers a seamless transition from the largely asynchronous definition of an architectural program to synchronous collaboration. In addition, and in contrast to commercially available groupware, the software allows multiple collaboration sessions to run at the same time. These sessions are artifactbased in the sense that they get automatically initiated once participants visit the same architectural space in the program hierarchy. The software employs a threetier objectoriented, webbased scheme for a richer representation of hierarchical artifacts coupled with a relational database for serverside storage. The prototype integrates this technology with Javabased tools for synchronous webbased collaboration.
