Give the different perspectives something to point to.

A model, demonstration, diagram, image, or prototype can make an encounter more concrete. Participants can inspect the same object and explain what it means to them.

The artifact becomes a meeting place for different knowledge.

Choose it through the purpose. A learning session may need an example that exposes a distinction. A working group may need a representation of a process. An exploratory encounter may need a prototype that makes an unfamiliar possibility tangible.

The object should help people notice something that matters.

Howard Pearlmutter has worked with graphics, simulation, human interfaces, commercial applications, and practical prototypes. His NASA study examined human interaction with dynamic simulation. His factory-design signoff system made specialist models inspectable to executives. Current Telos work joins native computing, enterprise software, media, and simulation.

These experiences can help connect the representation with the system and audience it serves.

A useful discussion distinguishes what the artifact establishes from the expectations people attach to it. Participants can then identify a missing condition, a promising use, or the next experiment worth attempting.

Read Telos, SIGGRAPH, and participation.

If a group needs to examine a specific piece of work, shape an encounter around it. The artifact can be simple. Its job is to make the important relationship available to the people in the room.