Creative Design Process Research Articles

Navigating Ambiguity: Comedy Improvisation as a Tool for Urban Design Pedagogy and Practice

The purpose of this article is three-fold: to reflect critically on the nature of comedy improvisation as a method of unleashing individual and collaborative creativity, to investigate its application in studio pedagogy as a way of enhancing the design process, and to offer insights into its effectiveness as a pedagogical tool and its implications for urban design practice. While comedy improvisation has been studied and applied in fields such as business and management, there has been no serious attempt to explore its potential as an urban design methodology. Based on the author’s experience as a professional urban designer and extensive training in comedy improvisation, an experimental urban design studio was conducted in Boston for graduate students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in early 2009. The article highlights the benefits of comedy improvisation such as creative collaboration, fostering innovation, supporting spontaneity, and learning through error; and describes the studio experience of building skills and testing ideas through pedagogical practice. The article concludes with useful insights from comedy improvisation for urban design practice, including building effective design teams as horizontal networks, developing highly creative design processes that are sensitive to constant change, and ways in which design innovation emerges out of specific types of group dynamics. Urban designers require such skills in a field marked by long-term non-linear design processes, interdisciplinary teams and multiple stakeholders with different viewpoints, and considerable ambiguity in decision making.

A Multi Autonomic Objects Flexible Workflow and its Knowledge Acquisition Supporting Engineering Design Process

In order to support the dynamic and creative Engineering Design Process (EDP) comprehensively, after a detailed literature review, a multi autonomic objects (AO) flexible workflow is applied into the supporting and management of EDP, its support for decision making, EDP evolution and design activity granularity is explained, finally and most importantly, a genetic algorithm-based AO knowledge learning method is proposed, the algorithm is demonstrated by a MATLAB simulation that it can satisfy the knowledge acquisition in EDP satisfactorily.

Creativity in the design process in the turbomachinery industry

Creativity is perhaps the most prized human attribute and an essential element of the design process. Some creative ideas are astonishing and brilliant, while others are simple practical ideas previously not thought of. The history of mature markets reveals the importance of innovative approaches to maintain competitive positions. There are many creative methods available which can be used to enhance and provoke our generative activity but professionals tend to restrict their attention to very few methods. This paper explores the creative process and creativity in turbomachinery design. This sector presents particular challenges given the safety critical nature of power generation and flight, and the history of developments can be characterised by evolution without many dramatic breakthroughs. In the light of survey data and practice in other industries, recommendations are made for the application of creative techniques based on pre-disposition, internal and external mapping, idea generation and evaluation for implementation in the turbomachinery industry in order to meet the challenges of competition and reducing environmental impact.

Hong Kong Hackshops! Creative instant toy design workshops

Hong Kong (HK) is widely perceived as the world's toy capital. In the past decade, its toy industry has outgrown its role as the world's provider of cheap and flexible toys known under the label of 'Made in Hong Kong' to become a global generator of play products. This brings the industry opportunities, but also challenges it to maintain its competitive edge. In this context, while HK designers are keen to demonstrate their creative potential, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), School of Design's (SD), Toy Design Lab (the Lab) undertakes education, research and development programmes, helping foster a culture of creativity that embraces innovation, design and engineering. Among other projects it carries out 'Hackshops', where participants hack toys and use found materials to build working playthings to nurture creative toy design processes. This paper relates the Lab's best toy design practice knowledge accrued organising, supervising and assessing Hackshop experiments since 2006.

Understanding design in nature can benefit product conceptual design

Product design is a strategic activity in companies due to the intense competition, more sophisticated market needs, and diverse and rapid changes in technology. Effective engineering design can improve quality, reduce costs and lead-time, thereby better satisfying customer needs. The means to reduce cost, time to market and to improve product quality are more complicated. Product performance, quality, aesthetic and reliability, once considered as fundamental factors in developing new products, are now minimum requirements, as markets have grown more demanding for environmentally friendly products. Product designers are required to conceive faster innovative products of high quality at lower cost and environmentally sound in order to maintain competitiveness in today’s global market. Over the last few years, a significant number of tools and methods have been developed in order to assist designers in addressing these issues. In line with this trend, this paper explores the following research question: how would nature solve conceptual product design issues? It maps the process of design in nature into the traditional product concept design, resulting in a creative process for conceptual product design. It is hoped that this insight may help designers gain further understanding of a creative product concept design process so that they comply with market needs.

The Study for Sustainable Creative Product Design Process - With Decision Making Theory of 6Sigma Process -

The Study for Sustainable Creative Product Design Process - With Decision Making Theory of 6Sigma Process -

Integrating Creativity in IT Product and Service Development Into Ergonomic Design Practices

It is creativity that ultimately triggers innovations and their commercial success in information technology products and services. Previous research in ergonomic design considers only issues regarding functionality, safety, usability, and affectivity. We first propose a conceptual framework for ergonomic design that highlights the central role of creativity in achieving synergy of the four preceding design dimensions. Then, a conceptual model of the creative design process for IT products and services is proposed based on the literature in creative cognition and engineering design. The discussion provides insights into how to increase creativity and profitability of IT products and services.

The Use of Art and Design Images in Graphic Design Courses in Higher Education

A project to investigate the use of art and design images in higher education courses was undertaken as part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership between the Bridgeman Art Library Limited and the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London. The principal objective of the project was the exploration of how art and design images complement the educational experience and how they inform the creative process of graphic design. The project consisted of various stages: meeting with employees at The Bridgeman Art Library to document their experiences with image requests from graphic design clients; creating sets of suitable images; licensing images to students and their instructor at the university; surveying the students about their experiences; and obtaining the instructor's feedback. The goals were to explore the ways in which art and design images can be used in teaching and in student coursework and to investigate whether the licensing of carefully selected sets of images, rather than the entire database, to educational institutions could work as a business model.

Integrating Creativity in IT Product and Service Development into Ergonomic Design Practices

It is creativity that ultimately triggers innovations and their commercial success in information technology products and services. Previous research in ergonomic design considers only issues regarding functionality, safety, usability, and affectivity. We first propose a conceptual framework for ergonomic design that highlights the central role of creativity in achieving synergy of the four preceding design dimensions. Then, a conceptual model of the creative design process for IT products and services is proposed based on the literature in creative cognition and engineering design. The discussion provides insights into how to increase creativity and profitability of IT products and services.

Fostering Creativity in Service Development: Facilitating Service Innovation by the Creative Cognition Approach

This article focuses on analysis of the human aspect in service systems and investigates the role of creativity in enhancing service innovation. Applying the creative cognition approach, a conceptual framework of creative process for service development is constructed to demonstrate the general process of designing creative services, with the emphasis on consumer satisfaction and business success. Five strategies are proposed to facilitate creative service generation: abstraction and multi-perspective, conceptual expansion, conceptual combination, analogical thinking, and meta-design. Concrete examples are provided to illustrate the application of the general creative service design process and the proposed strategies. [Service Science, ISSN 2164-3962 (print), ISSN 2164-3970 (online), was published by Services Science Global (SSG) from 2009 to 2011 as issues under ISBN 978-1-4276-2090-3.]

Hidden Dimensions of Creativity Elements in Design Process

The aim of the study was to determine the items that can be evaluated as the components of creativity in design process. Factor analysis was applied to determine how well the items corresponded with the explored creativity characteristics. An overall component analysis was conducted to achieve a holistic approach to creative design process. It is found that the primary dimension responsible of 46% of the total variance is only composed of product components. The second dimension responsible of 19.54%, and the third dimension responsible of 14.46% of the total variance are both composed of the interaction of person and process components. Therefore, it can be concluded that the product is the strongest factor in determining creativity in design process.

20-49세를 대상으로 성별에 따른 남성복 디자인에 관한 선호도 분석

Apparel professionals need to understand the customer to effectively develop, select, and promote apparel products. Analysis of consumer preferences can help in the creative design process. Therefore the purpose of this study was to identify consumer preference by gender in two segmented group; <TEX>$20{\sim}34$</TEX> aged group and <TEX>$35{\sim}49$</TEX> aged group toward men's apparel consumers, considering target customers and female influences on men's wear purchasing. We used questionnaires that were distributed to 600 males and females aged in their 20s to 40s, using stratified sampling method. Only 547 reliable questionnaires were selected for statistical analysis. Chi-Square and t-test were used to analyze the data, using SPSS program. We obtained the following results: 1. We found that there was a significant association between segmented age group and the preference of men's jacket style. Specially <TEX>$20{\sim}34$</TEX> aged group had a significant association with styles of formal jacket, casual t-shirts, casual pants, but <TEX>$35{\sim}49$</TEX> aged group had formal pants style. Looking at the general percentage, semi-formal jacket, slim fit t shirt, straight casual pants were the most favored styles. 2. Age has an significant effect on the preferences of formal menswear fabric patterns and shirt patterns. The results of t-test showed that there found to be significant by gender in character and check pattern of shirts. 3. In design details, the number of button had not significance by gender, and 2 buttons was th most favored by both age groups. The number of gather at the waist had an significant association in <TEX>$34{\sim}49$</TEX> age group. <TEX>$20{\sim}34$</TEX> age group prefer high waist of pants, while <TEX>$35{\sim}49$</TEX> age group prefer low waist of pants. 4. For on time outfit, formal wear and tie ensemble was the most favored with significant difference by age and gender. Formal wear and no tie ensemble favored by about one third of respondents, and more favored by the younger group. For off time outfit, casual jacket and casual pants ensemble was the most favored.

User-centric design and Kansei Engineering

Kansei Engineering is a Japanese originated technique that is often used to provide information on a sensual level in the application of products to markets. This paper explores a method of applying Kansei as part of a product design creative process. It explores the use of face-value testing through web-based pictorial questionnaires, firstly applied to a range of existing products, and then to two new product proposals created from information gained in the first questionnaire. The paper then considers if this technique demonstrates a development in the design process that can reasonably be considered to increase product success.

The Necessity of Being “Un-Disciplined” and “Out of Control”: Design Action and Systems Thinking

This paper introduces; design, integrated with systems thinking, as a necessary if not sufficient means for meeting the challenge of how to create or recreate organizations and institutions which better serve the needs and desires of clients, customers, and stakeholders in a rapidly changing world. As a way of moving conceptual thinking into concrete action, design is dramatically different from the scientific or artistic traditions, which primarily describe or explain the natural or phenomenal world. Three key points that will be explained are: (1) The limits of problem-solving strategies when applied to complex organizational change leave design the strategy of choice; (2) The designer's role is animated by other expression rather than self expression; and (3) From within this role, designers engage in the task of creating the un-natural world by being un-disciplined using systems thinking and by being out-of-control as part of the creative process of design.

DEVELOPMENT OF FROZEN SUSHI: OPTIMIZATION AND SHELF LIFE SIMULATION

ABSTRACT Sushi is a highly desired consumer product; however, freezing a product like sushi is not an easy task due to its wide variety of ingredients, which present very different moisture contents. The objective of this research was to develop high quality frozen sushi with a novel creative design process system. Key factors in the freezing process were considered, including identification of raw materials, experimental determination of moisture content, initial freezing point and nonfrozen water fraction in each component. Shelf life simulation showed that for lower storage temperatures, there is a significant increase in the product's shelf life. A correct development of frozen sushi must take into consideration the best combination of ingredients, process condition and quality, permitting to minimize water migration during frozen storage. The joint effort of a recognized international chef and a technical group was able to design a creative strategy for developing a high quality frozen product for exportation purposes. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Sushi is a highly desired product; however, freezing a product like sushi is not an easy task due to its wide variety of ingredients, which present very different moisture content. According to statistics, an exploding demand for ready-to-eat food products has been experienced in the last decade. Advanced Fresh Concepts Corp. runs 900 sushi counters in supermarkets in the United States and Canada and posts more than $100 million in annual sales. Prepared foods and entrée categories continue to be the largest within the frozen food market, with more than $5.9 billion in annual supermarket sales. Total retail sales of frozen foods in the U.S. reached more than $26.6 billion in 2001, 6.1 percent higher than 2000, up over 1 billion dollars from 1999 and 2 billion dollars from 1998. A comprehensive and creative approach to value-added product development is culinology. The term was first coined by Wiston Riley, former president and a founder of the Research Chefs Association (RCA). Culinology is the fusion of culinary/chef skills and the skills of technicians/scientists.

The Impact of Tangible User Interfaces on Designers' Spatial Cognition

ABSTRACT Most studies on tangible user interfaces for the tabletop design systems are being undertaken from a technology viewpoint. Although there have been studies that focus on the development of new interactive environments employing tangible user interfaces for designers, there is a lack of evaluation with respect to designers' spatial cognition. In this research we study the effects of tangible user interfaces on designers' spatial cognition to provide empirical evidence for the anecdotal views of the effect of tangible user interfaces. To highlight the expected changes in spatial cognition while using tangible user interfaces, we compared designers using a tangible user interface on a tabletop system with 3D blocks to designers using a graphical user interface on a desktop computer with a mouse and keyboard. The ways in which designers use the two different interfaces for 3D design were examined using a protocol analysis method. The result reveals that designers using 3D blocks perceived more spatial relationships among multiple objects and spaces and discovered new visuo-spatial features when revisiting their design configurations. The designers using the tangible interfaces spent more time in relocating objects to different locations to test the moves, and interacted with the external representation through large body movements implying an immersion in the design model. These two physical actions assist in designers' spatial cognition by reducing cognitive load in mental visual reasoning. Further, designers using the tangible interfaces spent more time in restructuring the design problem by introducing new functional issues as design requirements and produced more discontinuities to the design processes, which provides opportunity for reflection and modification of the design. Therefore this research shows that tangible user interfaces changes designers' spatial cognition, and the changes of the spatial cognition are associated with creative design processes.

Designing clothes: culture and organization of the fashion industry

Fashion is all around us: we see it, we buy it, we read about it, but most people know little about fashion as a business. In this volume, Veronica Manlow considers the broader significance of fashion in society, the creative process of fashion design, and how fashion unfolds in an organizational context where design is conceived and executed. Fashion firms are not just in the business of selling clothing along with a variety of sidelines. These companies must also sell a larger concept around which people can identify and distinguish themselves from others. Manlow defines the four main tasks of a fashion firm as creation of an image, translation of that image into a product, presentation of the product, and selling the product. Each of these processes is interrelated and each requires the efforts of a variety of specialists, who are often in distant locations. Manlow shows how the design and presentation of fashion is influenced by changes in society, both cultural and economic. Information about past sales and reception of items, as well as projective research informs design, manufacturing, sales, distribution, and marketing decisions. While new ideas must be put forward by the firm in a systematic manner, the identity of the brand must maintain a consistent image in the minds of consumers. In addition to taking account of the contingencies of the market, fashion firms must always be attuned to what other firms are doing. The moves of any one significant firm will influence other firms. It can even be said that there is a flow and counter-flow that occurs between all these sub-systems in the larger fashion industry. Manlow offers a comprehensive view of the ways in which creative decisions are made, leading up to the creation of actual styles. She helps to define the contribution fashion firms make in upholding, challenging, or redefining the social order. Readers will find this a fascinating examination of an industry that is quite visible, but little understood.

Suitability of genetic based exploration in the creative design process

Finding creative solutions to design problems depends heavily on a fruitful exploration in early phases. Many aspects of evolutionary computation (EC) and in particular genetic algorithms (GA) make them highly suited as computational tools for discovering good solutions. This paper discusses specific aspects of the GA method which parallel traditional design methodologies described by creativity researchers including Gordon, deBono, Parnes, and Osborn among others. Because EC methods work with populations of ‘fairly good’ solutions, there is less danger that creativity will be harmed by design fixation, on one ‘best’ solution. An example application is demonstrated using the design of a small truss bridge. The solutions offered by the application are varied enough to allow the designer a choice of forms. At the same time, all of the solutions offered are ‘fairly good’. This demonstrates the aspects of EC which make it well suited for creative exploration of problems.

Describing the creative design process by the integration of engineering design and cognitive psychology literature

In this paper a ‘creative design process’ is proposed, based on an integration between a modernised consensus view of both the design process from engineering design and the creative process from cognitive psychology. In addition, a composite definition of a creative design output is also formed, taking elements from the different design types proposed in engineering design and the creative outputs proposed in psychology. This integrated process and the composite definition are further linked, thus providing a descriptive model the different design operations are linked to the types of design output produced. 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

3306 創造的デザインの要因分析 : 類似性と差異性に着目した言語解釈プロセスとデザインプロセスの比較

The aim of this study is to clarify the essence of the creative design process. We analyzed the characteristics of the design process by comparing with the linguistic interpretation process, from the viewpoints of the thought types (analogy, blending, and thematic relation) and recognition types (commonality, alignable difference and nonalignable difference). This study addressed the process of synthesizing two concepts, the simplest and most essential process in formulating a new concept from the existing ones. In our experiment, the subjects were required to interpret a novel noun-noun phrase, create a design concept from the same noun-noun phrase, and list the similarities and dissimilarities between the two nouns. The results reveal that blending and nonalignable difference characterize the creative design process.