The differences between retrospective and concurrent protocols in revealing the process-oriented aspects of the design process

This paper presents the results of studying a single designer using protocol analyses and examines the implications of the results on studies of design thinking. It contrasts two types of protocols: concurrent protocols and retrospective protocols. The results indicate that concurrent and retrospective protocols both produce very similar outcomes in terms of exploring the process-oriented aspects of designing. As a result, it is argued there is no associated interference with the ongoing design process when using concurrent protocols.