Explorative analysis of applying collaborative visual annotations in online discussions to support the ideation of products or services

This study investigates the application of collaborative visual annotations in online discussion forums to foster knowledge exchange for the ideation of new products and services. A proof-of-concept prototype demonstrates how online discussions can be seamlessly enhanced with collaborative visual annotation tools to improve the quality of such discussions. To verify the viability of this approach, we have conducted an explorative evaluation of the proof-of-concept prototype in a setting simulating an online discussion for knowledge exchange in the ideation of products and services. Results show a high level of use of collaborative visual annotations and supporting functionalities, a high quality of discussion and a clear preference of the participants for this solution compared to traditional online forums. This underlines the potential of applying enhanced online discussions to support knowledge exchange in the ideation stage of design processes.