A tool for process, a process for design tools: Surfacing design narratives via version-controlled creation

Creative design work is often nonlinear, exploratory, and difficult to document. While version control systems have transformed software development, they fall short in supporting the ambiguity, visual complexity, and rationale-rich workflows that characterize creative practice. This thesis introduces the concept of process-aware version control for design systems and presents the iterative process of building such tools that embody this approach. Grounded in studies of documentation practices in physical computing education and interviews with creative professionals, we identify key tensions between making and documenting, exploration and explanation, as well as automation and authorship. Through a research-through-design methodology, we developed two systems: SnapLog, a lightweight snapshot-based annotation tool, and SnapExplain, a fully integrated vector-based design environment with embedded version control, whose findings informed the design of SnapExplain, which incorporates structured versioning, AI-assisted annotations, and interactive branching to make the design process more visible, reflective, and communicable. An evaluation study with seven professional designers shows how SnapExplain scaffolds both personal reflection and communicative storytelling, enabling users to track process midpoints, construct design narratives, and balance creative flow with communicative clarity. These findings call for a rethinking of design system—not just as containers for outcomes, but as active participants in capturing, shaping, and communicating the evolution of creative ideas.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Computer Science

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Chen, Andrew

Contributors dc:contributor

• Sterman, Sarah

• design tools
• version control
• documentation
• design process

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Andrew Chen

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129542

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F129542