Dubious Role of Formal Creativity Techniques in Professional Design
DS 73-1 Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Design Creativity Volume 1
Year: 2012
Editor: Duffy, A.; Nagai, Y.; Taura, T.
Author: Laakso, M.; Liikkanen, L. A.
Section: Creativity
Page(s): 55-64
Abstract
Formal problem-solving and creativity techniques have repeatedly been promoted to designers by consultants and scholars. However, there has been little research about the adoption and usefulness of these techniques among practitioners. In this paper, we investigate the prominence of different design methods among design companies in Europe and North America. We interviewed 17 professional designers from companies of different orientation. We inquired about working practices and the significance of different methods and practices in everyday design work. We found that designers from industrial design as well as engineering design backgrounds relied mostly on established design methods – generally characterized as
Keywords: creativity techniques, brainstorming, design practice, design thinking