Abstract
Studying design cognition has been considered one of the greatest challenges in the design creativity research community. The cognitive mental process has been the core of creativity studies with abundant research outcomes. However, the effective teaching methodologies for creativity in design education remain dispersive and inconclusive. This paper describes and examines a framework of the creative process that has been systematically tested with clear evidence of effectiveness and success. The framework has been applied to a design project in an undergraduate industrial design studio for six consecutive years. More than a hundred students provided feedback through surveys and discussions about this framework reflecting their creative experience. The assessment of the creative process focuses on measuring the quality and the quantity of idea generation concerning students’ creative performance. With attention to the low performers and the analysis of varied and common causes, some shortcomings in the process were identified which hindered students’ engagement and performance. A modified framework is proposed to facilitate the individuals’ unique ways of idea generation and concept exploration so that the process will accommodate everyone with their unique backgrounds and approaches. Deliberation of students’ successes and failures sheds light on the advantages of a more flexible and adaptable creative process to achieve quality innovation. The third party’s evaluations signify a strong application potential in design education and design practice.
Presenters
Jeff FengAssociate Professor, Industrial Design, University of Houston, Texas, United States Min Kang
Assistant Professor, Industrial Design, University of Houston, Texas, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Innovation, Creativity, Inspiration, Fixation, Cognition
