Complexity science in collaborative design

Bringing designers together as successful design teams is investigated in the context of the science of complex systems. The relational structure inherent in design defines multilevel multidimensional networks, which can represent part-whole hierarchies in design. Design is presented as an iterative top-down and bottom-up process that induces the emergence of desirable properties. This involves the construction and instantiation of multilevel representations. The implications of this are discussed for computer supported collaborative design, and how interaction structures can be designed to support design collaboration. The paper is aimed at a general reader and is self-contained.