UNDERSTANDING REPRESENTATION IN DESIGN

Representing computer applications and their use is an important aspec t of design. In various ways, designers need to externalize design pro posals and present them to other designers, users, or managers. This a rticle deals with understanding design representations and the work th ey do in design. The article is based on a series of theoretical conce pts coming out of studies of scientific and other work practices and o n practical experiences from design of computer applications. The arti cle presents alternatives to the ideas that design representations are mappings of present or future work situations and computer applicatio ns. It suggests that representations are primarily containers of ideas and that representation is situated at the same time as representatio ns are crossing boundaries between various design and use activities. As such, representations should be carriers of their own contexts rega rding use and design. The article proposes that abstraction, elevating the representation from the situation, is not the only way to do this , and it proposes alternatives.