Abstract
Abstract Visual thinking is the creative process by which spatial, numerical and descriptive information is integrated to realize a design idea. A series of experiments have been conducted in which the role of freehand sketching in the design work of novice engineering designers and industrial designers was examined. Three types of sketches, functional, geometric and pictorial, can be identified, each related to the stage of concept development. An adequate sketching technique is essential for the smooth flow of design ideas during the formative stages of a design. Based upon these experimental observations, a model of the process of visual thinking is proposed. In it, sketching forms an interface and potential barrier between the cognitive processes and the physical domain. This barrier can be biased towards either the cognitive or the physical domain, resulting in two different types of impediment to idea development.
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