Focusing design and staging design conversations in complex settings through “design documentary” filmmaking

This paper explores the use of documentary-style video to support design ethnography and early phase design focusing in a complex industrial context. Based on a design case involving a new interdisciplinary planning tool for an offshore platform operation, we suggest a novel form of “design documentary” filmmaking approach. This work suggests how technically and socially complex design settings may benefit from the use of video as a medium to facilitate and connect different phases and levels of design conversations.