This study conducted as part of MBL 608 E: Visual-Spatial Cognition, instructed by Assist. Prof. Dr. Elif Sezen Yağmur Kilimci, Architectural Design Computing Ph.D. Program, Istanbul Technical University, 2020–2021 Spring.
This article explores how architects’ choice of visual tools—like 2D sketches or 3D models—might influence the shared mental models that teams build during collaborative design, proposing a framework to study their impact on communication and teamwork.
Keywords: Spatial cognition, shared mental models, architectural design, collaborative design, external representations, 2D sketches, 3D models, design communication, visual tools, team thinking.