An insight into the freedom of using a pen: Pen-based system and pen-and-paper

In recent years the studies of freehand sketch began to peek into cognitive study area from the design media aspect. The development of pen-based system attempted to use pen as an input device, allowing sketches to be freely drawn in computers environment. The importance of the freehand sketch is in its ability to freely represent various drawing projections using ambiguous sketches. However, as far as the various drawing projections, such as diagram, symbol, plan, elevation, section, perspective, etc., how are they interrelated to a designer’s thinking process and the cognitive behavior? Although both pen-based system and pen-and-paper use pen as a design media, however different media have different abilities to represent different projections, would they affect the designer’s design thinking as well? Targeting different media, i.e. conventional pen-and-paper vs. computer pen-based system, this research uses case studies and think-aloud protocol analysis to present an analysis and discussion. Research results show that there is a relationship of gradual embodiment, mutually complementary, going from a whole perspective to being dissected into section between the different projections. In addition, these projections restrict the designer’s various design thinking processes, while the use of different media may somewhat change the design thinking of the designer.