SKETCHING AS A COMMUNICATION TOOL FOR SHARED UNDERSTANDING IN CONCEPTUAL DESIGN PHASE OF AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN

Effective communication is essential for fostering shared understanding during the conceptual phase of automotive design, where ambiguity and rapid ideation are common. This study investigates how sketching functions as an effective communication tool in two different interaction modalities: silent (experimental group) and verbal (control group), to support team alignment and idea development. Eighteen Malaysian automotive designers were assigned to three-person teams and completed a two-stage task involving individual ideation followed by collaborative refinement. Using visual link analysis, the study evaluated design moves, refinement patterns, and the balance of contributions across both conditions. Silent groups exhibited more structured individual sketching behavior and greater refinement during the ideation stage, while verbal groups utilized spoken dialogue during collaboration to negotiate and align concepts. Although statistical differences were not significant, consistent behavioral trends emerged across conditions. These findings suggest that sketching operates as a flexible and self-sufficient communication medium, effectively bridging cognitive gaps regardless of verbal interaction. The study provides empirical evidence supporting sketching’s dual role as both an individual cognitive tool and a shared visual language in team-based design.