This paper aims at examining whether the innovation approach Design Thinking (DT), which is usually performed in an analogue setting, can also be performed in a semi-virtual setting. We conducted an experiment comparing a fully analogue to a semi-virtual DT workshop with overall 59 participants from 27 different countries and 11 different disciplines separated into an experimental- and control group. For the evaluation, we composed items from the psychological construct of Shared Mental Models (SMM) and discussed existing Media Theories in order to draw conclusions on the impact of performing DT semi-virtually in regard to using a digital whiteboard. Against our expectations and assumptions from theory, we reveal that a semi-virtual DT workshop can lead to high levels of shared understanding, satisfaction and perceived effectiveness. We argue that the applied digital whiteboard supports a creative semi-virtual collaboration due to its advanced functionalities, which supports the Media Richness Theory.
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