Riding the Same Wavelength: Designers’ Perceptions of Shared Understanding in Remote Teams

Abstract

The buildup of shared understanding is central to design work. It is particularly important in remote teams, where design work is carried out by participants scattered across geographical locations. We contribute by exploring designers’ perceptions of shared understanding in remote teams. Taking the perspective of individual designers working in remote teams, we pursue two aims: first, to uncover the work elements that are perceived as requiring shared understanding, and second, to identify the perceived enablers of and barriers to the buildup of shared understanding. Albeit under-researched, such individual perceptions are important because they likely shape the scope and extent of the shared understanding built in the remote team. To pursue our aims, we conducted in-depth interviews with experienced designers. Using thematic analysis, we found that team spirit, shared experience, trustworthiness, and transparency, as well as project management and related micro-practices, are perceived as central to building shared understanding in remote design teams.

A Case Study of Building Shared Understanding of Non-Functional Requirements in a Remote Software Organization

“…This observation supports prior research on building shared understanding for supporting remote teams through building shared mental models with visual representations [23]. Second, frequent communication ensures that there is a shared understanding of how team members feel and how the project progresses [32]. Online updates like daily check-ins on Slack or formal or informal communication on Gather shows the importance of multiple forms of communication media [30] [26] and tools such as Gather, Slack, and file sharing.…”

“…A key enabler for shared understanding is the ability to ask questions and receive feedback, regardless of background experience, education, or other demographic factors [7], that we identified as asking question in our practices for building a shared understanding. Previous research suggests other enablers of shared understanding in remote teams such as visualizing information, online updates and trustworthiness [32]. We further discuss our insights about these enablers at Alpha.…”

“…However, prior research indicates that CSE may pose a detrimental effect on the shared understanding of non-functional requirements [48]. In remote organizations, building a shared understanding becomes more challenging due to the additional recognized barriers with remote work, such as challenges with information sharing and team members having a reduced ability to build trustworthy relationships [32].…”

“…Online updates like daily check-ins on Slack or formal or informal communication on Gather shows the importance of multiple forms of communication media [30] [26] and tools such as Gather, Slack, and file sharing. Third, mutual trust enables team members to collaborate and share feedback openly, thus improving shared understanding within remote teams [32]. Previous research suggests that regular communication, including formal and informal communication, plays a vital role in creating relationships within remote teams and thus in building trust within the team, regardless of the difference in background, location or culture [25].…”

“…Working remotely creates further challenges in managing NFRs, along with their understanding, due to geographic distance, differences in context, and heavy reliance on communication technologies [19]. There are barriers to building a shared understanding, as conveying information through non-verbal communication is difficult in remote environments [32]. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a global shift from in-person activities to working remotely [5].…”