On the value of Virtual Worlds for collaborative design

Virtual Worlds have not been deployed widely in collaborative design, and their respective value is largely unknown. In this paper we make a combined use of established principles in design and computer-mediated communication studies to provide an account of their value for collaborative design by presenting three case studies concerned with: (a) review sessions of the architectural design of a cottage; (h) collaborative design of the interior space of an academic laboratory; (c) collaboration of design teams for the user interface design of a multimedia kiosk. We have found that collaborative design in VWs is a very engaging experience for remote participants and can add value to the activities of conceptual design and/or design review in die domains of design examined. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.