Strategies for Annotating Portfolios: Mapping Designs for New Domains

In this paper, we extend the concept of annotated portfolios to include designs for new domains. Although annotated portfolios were intentionally left open to interpretation and appropriation, most of the published research that uses this method to articulate intermediate knowledge focuses on annotation strategies that abstract new knowledge about the qualities of interaction and about the design domain. We suggest that annotations can do more than pull towards concerns regarding abstraction and show that several not so very theoretical, but relevant findings can be achieved using other strategies. Two additional strategies are brought forward to illustrate this: a chronological design trajectory that shows the historical account of new domain explorations, and a design ecosystem strategy that aims to show how artefacts can work together. We apply all four strategies mentioned above and discuss how they contribute to revealing features of the design space for people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.