Notes on Design Process and Creativity

Step 1: Identify the Problem

• Recognize and define the problem: Is there a problem? Does a solution exist? What exactly must be solved?
• Establish needs, criteria, requirements, and other limitations that set boundaries (parameters) of the problem.
• Parameters define the problem by stating criteria that must be addressed and by excluding non-essential criteria.

Step 2: Generate Ideas

• This is the most creative step.
• Conceptual methods to elicit ideas:
• Brainstorming: group idea generation, ideas built upon by others
• Mental inventory: private search of memory for ideas
• Combine methods: alternating private idea generation with group brainstorming increases productivity
• Research: document past approaches to a problem; uncover archetypes (major categories of form used historically)
• Inspiration sources: history, other cultures, nature; archetypes help pattern ideas (e.g., Mayan rain god Chac Mool as an archetype)
• Lateral thinking: sideways thinking; challenging normal thought paths; ideas need not be logical—absurd ideas can seed effective solutions
• Sketches and Notes: record initial ideas as thumbnails, sketch models, and written notations
• Thumbnail sketches: small, quick visual notes; many may be created before a solution emerges
• Sketch models: three-dimensional equivalents of thumbnails; use cheap materials to test viability in 3D

Step 3: Refine and Analyze

• First evaluation cycle: assess ideas against problem criteria and parameters
• Decide which ideas to accept, reject, enlarge, or narrow
• Present refined versions as more developed drawings, models, or mock-ups
• Drawings:
• Presentation drawings: visually engaging for client/viewers
• Working drawings: measured and schematic; serve as the reference for building the object
• Models and Mock-ups:
• Models: 3D representations at smaller scale to visualize form
• White models: inexpensive internal reference (often paper/foam, unpainted)
• Full-scale models (mock-ups): provide sense of impact in environment; used for evaluation against real size

Step 4: Create the Prototype

• A working, fully functional version of the object built from the most viable proposal

Step 5: Decide

• Final evaluation cycle: either accept and fine-tune the object or reject the prototype and restart the process

Step 6: Implement

• For sculptors/one-of-a-kind craftspeople: straightforward; decide to sell or exhibit prototypes as final solutions
• For product designers: must consider production and marketing constraints as key parameters of the original problem

CREATIVITY

• Creativity is a special form of problem solving requiring associative and integrative thinking
• Associative thinking: leaps between images, places, actions, and ideas via diverse connections; not necessarily logical; can be sensory
• Integrative thought: synthesizes associations into new combinations addressing the problem
• Output that survives critical analysis signifies a successful creative act