Evaluating Workflow and Modeling Strategies of Pen Computing in the Beginning Architectural Design Studio

This paper investigates the impact of Tablet PCs on the workflow in an undergraduate design studio. We examined how well the students adapted the Tablet PC into their day-to-day design work and evaluated the appropriateness of the Tablet PC as a common digital tool used in an architectural design studio. This research involved observation of student behavior during the semester and the conducting of a survey measuring various aspects of the students’ use of the computers. A more specific goal was to compare the effectiveness of the pen versus the mouse as input devices for a three-dimensional modeling task in terms of both task time and strategies. Our assumption was that a change in input mode would affect the strategies and the performance. The results of a within-subjects, repeated-measures experiment carried out to elicit differences in input devices are discussed.