Abstract
The authors made four design experiments to know how student designers create design solutions in translating goal description to its visual form. Firstly, in experiment 1 and 2, several thinking types were found in the sketches of the subjects, and then confirmed that they could sum up to two thinking modes (Metaphor mode and Form-making mode) depending on the difficulty in translating the goal description to its visual form. In experiment 3, it was found that the subjects took varied ways with changing thinking modes to reach final sketches depending on the difficulties of goal descriptions. Lastly, in experiment 4, the subjects were given a very difficult goal description, and the experimenters analyzed the sketches and words written in the sketches. As the result, some hierarchies of meanings of goal description were found in the subjects’ thinking processes. The subjects seemed to search clues of translating word to form through low-leveled words. Consequently, the author asserted that to make creative design, designers need to go along a thinking path with repeated changes of the thinking modes.
Citation
Nagai, Y., and Noguchi, H. (2002) A research into the thinking modes in creative design process, in Durling, D. and Shackleton, J. (eds.), Common Ground - DRS International Conference 2002, 5-7 September, London, United Kingdom. https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conference-papers/drs2002/researchpapers/57
A research into the thinking modes in creative design process
The authors made four design experiments to know how student designers create design solutions in translating goal description to its visual form. Firstly, in experiment 1 and 2, several thinking types were found in the sketches of the subjects, and then confirmed that they could sum up to two thinking modes (Metaphor mode and Form-making mode) depending on the difficulty in translating the goal description to its visual form. In experiment 3, it was found that the subjects took varied ways with changing thinking modes to reach final sketches depending on the difficulties of goal descriptions. Lastly, in experiment 4, the subjects were given a very difficult goal description, and the experimenters analyzed the sketches and words written in the sketches. As the result, some hierarchies of meanings of goal description were found in the subjects’ thinking processes. The subjects seemed to search clues of translating word to form through low-leveled words. Consequently, the author asserted that to make creative design, designers need to go along a thinking path with repeated changes of the thinking modes.