Influence of Thinking Style on Design Creativity
Year: 2016
Editor: Julie Linsey, Maria Yang, and Yukari Nagai
Author: Hristina, Milojevic; Angelica, Girardello; Zhinan, Zhang; Yan, Jin
Series: ICDC
ISBN: 978-1-904670-82-7
Abstract
Past studies suggest evidence of lack of intuitive thinking and creativity training in engineering
education. This becomes particularly relevant in the realm of design engineers, where creative solutions
may expand horizons significantly. To better understand how design thinking style may influence design
creativity, we propose to study the interplay among thinking style (rational/intuitive thinking), personality,
and design creativity in engineers through self-report surveys and design task logs. From the analysis of
survey results and design performance measures, correlations among thinking style, creative behavior and
design performance can be identified. Samples from Shanghai Jiao Tong University were applied in this
study. The findings showed relatively strong correlations between rationality and creativity across subjects.
Keywords: design cognition, creativity, thinking style