This text presents a cognitive-psychology analysis of spontaneous, co-speech
gestures in a face-to-face architectural design meeting (A1 in DTRS7). The
long-term objective is to formulate specifications for remote
collaborative-design systems, especially for supporting the use of different
semiotic modalities (multi-modal interaction). According to their function for
design, interaction, and collaboration, we distinguish different gesture
families: representational (entity designating or specifying), organisational
(management of discourse, interaction, or functional design actions),
focalising, discourse and interaction modulating, and disambiguating gestures.
Discussion and conclusion concern the following points. It is impossible to
attribute fixed functions to particular gesture forms. "Designating" gestures
may also have a design function. The gestures identified in A1 possess a
certain generic character. The gestures identified are neither systematically
irreplaceable, nor optional accessories to speech or drawing. We discuss the
possibilities for gesture in computer-supported collaborative software systems.
The paper closes on our contribution to gesture studies and cognitive design
research