An essential part of any space in which physical prototyping and prototype-driven product development is being conducted is the education of its users in the necessary skills to fully utilise the material resources of the space. This paper describes how two different skills were transferred between five projects in our research laboratory, TrollLABS. Based on the observed skill-transfers in the production of PCBs and use of RF-communication in mechatronics projects certain tendencies emerged: How the use of forced vocal experience sharing; And in-person transferring of skills has impacted the acquired skills of the learner. The observations further show that through the guidance of a more experienced user the learner is able to make “skill-jumps”: Intermediate skill steps, as well as underlying detailed knowledge, are skipped and the learner is able to reach a high skill level in a shorter time than the original acquirer of the skill. Furthermore, skills are retained in the space through cross-generational collaboration and communication. This article aims to share these insights and provide a starting point for answering some of the challenges of modern maker spaces.

Among the increasing number of researches about design thinking, several studies, empirically investigate the report between design process and different sources of inspiration. Visualization of Images represents one of the most current stimuli in the architectural design.

This work focuses on the link between the active part of design process and images of precedents when visualized by the designer at the beginning of his design activity. It aims to identify and measure the impact of such visualization on the cognitive process of ideation.

We use the protocol analysis method. Data are collected through design experiment and coded by the semio-morphic coding scheme. Results show that the visualization of images of precedents enhances the productivity of the ideation process. The process consistency is also improved by the apearence of homogeneous phases. Moreover the ideation process becomes more creative cognitively, by making the genesis of primitive chains of actions faster, easier and similar.

Accordingly, this paper communicate the effect of a common practice such images’ visualization on the architectural design process to get insight on the cognitive befits of this practice.

Information Technology (IT) and the process of new product development (NPD) have become completely intertwined. From computer-aided-design (CAD) to video conferencing to traditional tools like email, the act of design, iterating and communicating with team members is touched at every point in the process by IT. Over the last ten years, new, collaborative information technology (CIT) has entered into the NPD process to make the activity of communication and team information sharing easier, more frequent, and distributed. What is not known is how these tools are influencing the design process itself. This research uses a longitudinal multi-method, ethnographic approach to deep dive into actual use cases. Our results indicate that CIT can have a substantial impact on NPD, but does not automatically alleviate traditional problems during NPD. We also find that the propagation of tools via new firms startups has developed a single tool per task paradigm, which is counter to the development of complex platforms offered by established firms. These single use tools are easily adopted but also easily discarded by development teams.

A posteriori novelty metrics are often used in design research, in order to extract important information about creativity. However, different assessment approaches can be found in the literature, each of them with related pros and cons. In particular, weighted uncommonness, overall uncommonness and uncommonness across groups are the three main families of a-posteriori novelty metrics identified in this paper. Each of the considered literature metrics can provide specific types of information about the uncommonness of ideas, but in certain experimental circumstances, it could be difficult to rapidly identify the best-suited approach. This paper proposes an integrated procedure where the advantages offered by the three families of metrics can be applied concurrently. A generic case study is used for a first application of the proposal, and the obtained results show that a more comprehensive set of information about a-posteriori novelty can be extracted. In particular, novelty data from the three families of metrics are extracted in a single assessment process.

The aim of our research is to stimulate cross disciplinary design collaboration to improve innovation processes in product and service design domain. We focus on the intersection of biotechnology and design as this field poses great challenges and opportunities for innovation, and it has received little attention in light of technological advancements of digital goods over the past decades. Experimental studies in the area expose challenging interactions, rising from lack of common vocabulary and preconceptions. Organisational management studies suggest that creativity is a prerequisite for innovation in group processes. As such, we are interested in enhancing collective creativity. Numerous studies investigate external creativity triggers, however only on individual level. Our review suggests that external triggers can be effective when the task is problem solving or styling, but ambiguous goals like innovation require stimulation of intrinsic triggers, such as group incidental learning and tacit knowledge. To explain this, we propose a hypothetical innovation approach, that draws attention to cognitive stimulation methods leading to creativity in multidisciplinary teams.

Design ideation is a critical early step in any design process and especially challenging for novice designers. This paper introduces the “Systematic Brainstorming Ideation (SBI)” method that, as part of a wider design ideation process, improves the range and number of design concepts generated by novice designers. In this paper we give a brief introduction to the design ideation method to set a context for SBI and then introduce SBI in more detail. Evaluation experiments with 101 novice designers, based in UK and South Korea, are reported. Results indicate a 30% improvement in the number of design concepts generated.

Creativity is often said to play a vital role in the product design process, while functionality and aesthetics are considered key factors of actual products. Functionality refers to the performance of a product, and aesthetics represents the visual and ergonomic appeals of the product. However, there appears to be an elusive relation between creativity, functionality and aesthetics. This study explores how functionality, aesthetics and creativity are related to one another in design. Through exploring the definitions and assessments of creativity in design, this study reveals that novelty, usefulness and surprise are the three core elements of design creativity. A case study involving experts evaluating design samples in terms of novelty, usefulness, surprise, functionality, aesthetics and overall creativity is conducted. The results imply that there are no statistically significant relations between creativity, functionality, and aesthetics. Considering the three core elements of design creativity, the results indicate that creativity is only statistically significantly related to novelty. Moreover, our results suggest that creativity and novelty are measuring the same construct.

In solution-driven BID (sol-BID) a challenge is to identify suited applications that will benefit from the solutions principles found in nature. A well-known example of sol-BID is the self-cleaning lotus plant, that has inspired lotus paint and other coating methods. However, sol-BID is often performed by biologists with insight into the biological strategy and organism and typically only little knowledge of technical applications and design methodology. Searching for applications is therefore a challenge to many. Sol-BID has many things in common with technical application search where new applications are sought for a specific production technology or another competence characterizing a company. Experiences from technical application search could therefore form a valuable input for how to perform sol-BID. The paper presents two case studies of application search and proposes a procedure to be used in solution driven BID.

The overarching goal of this work is to support creative ideation in engineering design with the aim of overcoming design fixation. We study the impact of abstract representations and ways to frame the problem in design briefs on the creativity of concept sketches. Framing/Reframing involves shifting perspectives on the design purpose and to reveal insights and opportunities. Two Framing/Reframing techniques are tested: the Ishikawa/Fishbone Diagram to identify root causes and a blend of Parnes’ Restatement/SCAMPER method to encourage divergence in problem perception. Abstract representations of requirements were used as stimuli to foster transfer and associative thinking. Using a full-factorial experimental design with brief variations, C-Sketch ideas developed by first-year engineering/architecture students were evaluated for their creativity. Our results showed a positive interaction effect for novelty and usefulness when the Fishbone Reframing method was used with abstract representation, but there was no difference in creativity scores when comparing the two Framing/Reframing methods between each other.

Bio-inspired design is an innovative methodology for transferring biological solutions into technical solutions, for example for the design of weight- and load-optimized components. Bio-inspired design therefore offers great potential for meeting the challenges of designing additively manufactured components, such as avoiding warpage, supporting structures and material minimisation. Nevertheless, apart from bio-inspired topology optimization tools, bio-inspired design is rarely used in industrial practice because for many companies the practical applicability up to the prototype is not obvious. The aim of this work is therefore a practical approach to the search for biological systems, analysis, abstraction and transfer of analogies. We apply bio-inspired design on the design of a microtiter plate manufactured by stereolithography, whose dimensional accuracy is impaired by warpage. Here, the venus’ flower basket, a deep-sea sponge, can serve as a model. It has a hierarchical structure of silicate needles whose elements are abstracted for bio-inspired transfer. We show and evaluate the transfer of different analogies using a prototype.

This paper provides an overview of the state-of-the-art research about creative work and learning environments. We conducted a systematic literature search within the Scopus database and identified a total of 70 relevant sources discussing creative spaces within academic, practice, or other innovation environments. Among the included sources are 48 academic publications and 22 sources from company research and illustrative coffee-table books that are discussed separately. We analyse the academic sources regarding their theoretical contribution, as well as regarding their scope. Finally, the included sources are categorized according to three areas of interest: (1) the addressed space types for different creative activities, (2) abstracted requirements for creative spaces, and (3) concrete characteristics and configurations of a creative space. The results provide an in-depth insight into the current state of research on the topic of creative spaces. Practitioners, educators, and researchers can use the presented overview to investigate the possible impact of creative workspace design and to identify research gaps for conducting further research in the field.

Visualisation of ideas and emergent designs is an essential ingredient in design practice. Sketching and CAD represent two widely used visualisation tools, each with complementary affordances that dictate their typical use during the design process. Sketching has affordances of fast and fluent visualisation whereas CAD affords easy modification of detailed designs. This paper proposes a hybrid tool, Digital Sketch Modelling, investigating the extent to which it can deliver complementary affordances of both sketching to CAD. Analysis of diary entries made by 62 postgraduate designers using sketching, digital sketch modelling and CAD within a design project forms the basis of the study. Results illustrate how digital sketching over crude 3d digital models, combined with benefits of digital image editing software enhance affordance for easy visualisation of ideas. Concurrently, the level of software used in Digital Sketch modelling led to fewer concerns over the level of difficulty to modify designs, enhancing the affordance for easy modification. As such we conclude Digital Sketch Modelling does combine affordances indicating its potential benefit in use between sketching and CAD.

The strength of biomimetics comes from its ability to draw from life mechanisms and strategies to design innovative solutions. In spite of recent methodological progresses, more specifically on tools and processes, biomimetics' implementation still faces strong difficulties. Among other things, design teams have a hard time finding and selecting relevant biological strategies. Facing these challenges, we consider an alternative, yet well recognized, approach: the integration of profiles having a training in natural science within biomimetic design teams. As biologists aren't used to work in design teams, there is a need for a process actually guiding their practice in biomimetics and determining the way they will interact with the “traditional” design team. After studying the literature and asking for experts' opinion on the matter, we introduced a biomimetic design process considering this new profile as an integral part of biomimetic design teams. With the final goal of making biomimetics implementable, this proposed theoretical process is currently tested in both a student and an industrial project in order to optimize our methodological contribution with practical feedbacks.

For many years, both academia and industry have been interested in increasing the efficiency of idea- generation meetings. Alex Osborne's (1953) rules for brainstorming are an early attempt to do so, and have extensively been used in engineering design, however their effectiveness has been questioned with recent research, and a need for fundamental research to establish which practices are useful arises. This study is an attempt in investigating linguistic abstraction in idea-generation meetings, in order to establish whether any best practices can be distilled from the language used. Engineering design group meetings were recorded and transcribed, and was analysed using a coding framework which was developed for analysing linguistic categories as well as the ideas that were generated during those meetings. More particularly, the study investigates the average abstractness/concreteness of speech throughout the duration of the meetings, as well as the switching between abstract and concrete language and vice versa while comparing idea-related discourse and non-idea related discourse switching. The coding framework proposed is considered robust enough to carry out further work.

Sketching ideas and building physical prototypes are common in early stage product development. They are used for learning, testing ideas, proving concepts and sharing knowledge. Laser cutting is a popular tool for making physical prototypes due to its accuracy, robustness and speed. Computer aided design and vector graphics software are the main tools used for designing parts for laser cutting. Several sketch- based interfaces have been developed to support the process, using tools such as stylus pens with intuitive sketch-like commands.

A proof-of-concept prototype for capturing a hand drawn sketch and converting it to a laser cuttable file has been developed. In this pilot study we attempt to discover when drawing design by hand on paper can be better or more efficient than conventional methods, for developing physical prototypes with laser cutting in the context of early stage product development. This includes testing the accuracy of the tool, a pilot experiment comparing drawing speed and accuracy, example use cases utilizing pencil and paper, and a simple design challenge experiment.

As catalysts for product innovation and product development, different approaches for biologically inspired design (BID) are exciting options. However, while general BID theory require a focus on single functions, real world products are characterized by performing multiple functions. The development of an anterior eye-chamber model is used to showcase the issue.

In a systematic literature review (SLR), state-of-the-art methodologies, methods and tools BID practice are discovered and the current state of multi-functionality in BID are assessed.

The SLR revealed 18 contributions with 8 BID methodologies and 12 stage-specific BID tools (of which 50% addressed the solution search phase) in addition to 5 papers addressing multi-functionality in BID. At present multi-functionality in BID is only treated in a limited set of papers. While designers interested in BID are advised to discover multi-functional analogies, the present approach to handling multi-functional problems in BID suggest functional decomposition and multiple BID efforts. Therefore, the development of design support for handling multi-functional problems, including tools for problem analysis are needed.

In their early years of education, design students may experience difficulties in reframing design problems. Since reframing is linked to creativity, this may be problematic. While there are some models available to describe the reframing process, it is yet unclear how they are supporting design students. This study concerned the development and test of a framing model based on co-evolution transitions, through a two-part study: interviews with expert designers and workshops followed by group interviews with novices. The resulting model offers a way of thinking and a way of working, based on the fluidity of the design process. This study yielded two major insights. Firstly, students tend to perceive the problem space to be fixed once they defined it, even if they discovered disparate information along the way. Secondly, the developed model provides students with guidance and confidence in dealing with complex problems. Our results have a considerable impact on design education, as it is important to reinforce to design students that both the problem and solution understanding are fluid, and this model provides initial steps to help designers structuring their process.

Analysing verbal data produced during the design activity is helpful to gain a better understanding of design creativity. To understand exchange of information in terms of creative outcomes, a semantic analysis approach was used to measure the semantic content of communications between students and teachers. The goal was to use this tool to analyse design conversations, and to investigate their relation to design creativity, assessed in terms of originality, usability, feasibility, aesthetics, elaboration, overall value and overall creativity. Abstraction, Polysemy, Information Content and Semantic Similarity were employed to explore 35 design conversations from the DTRS10 dataset. Main findings suggest that a significant relationship exists between Information Content and Originality, and between Information Content and Overall creativity of the produced design outcomes. Significant relations were also found between Abstraction, Polysemy, Information Content, and Feasibility, as well as between Semantic Similarity and Overall Value of the outcomes. Implications for the use of semantic measures for encouraging creativity in the design studio are discussed.

The problems of today are increasingly complex in nature. Yet, most support provided by design agencies and innovation consultancies is based on unstructured approaches, guided by the facilitators own intuition. This article presents the Teckel canvas, an approach to guide problem reframing in facilitation to both tackle solution and problem understanding. After synthesising the main insights from prominent reframing methods and models, a meta-process of reframing was created, which was translated into a practical canvas. Two Dutch case studies are examined in which the proposed reframing canvas is tested. When this canvas was used in facilitation, we found out that the medium and message can be reframed separately or together and that the canvas can be used as a tool for overview on the subject. Our findings indicate that an explicit and tangible use of reframing can improve solving complex problems to be more clear, visual and reflective.

Novelty can be evaluated from the perspective of the designer who creates a concept (personal novelty), and people who perceive it post-creation (socio-novelty). In each case, the extent to which the concept is new compared to known artefacts is judged. The designer's evaluation is based on the same knowledge from which the concept was produced. Thus, if the concept is novel to the designer, creative cognitive processing must have occurred, i.e. something new was created in the mind. Evaluations made by other people are based on their own knowledge, which may differ from the designer's. Thus, concepts they view as novel are not necessarily the output of creative cognition. In this paper, we posit that personal novelty is directly related to designer cognition, whilst socio-novelty is not. However, existing metrics focus on the latter, and may be misleading in cognitive studies. To stimulate discussion, we formalise personal and socio-novelty in the Novelty Perspectives Framework. Empirical data suggests that the perspectives may be distinguished in practice. Future implications of the NPF are explored, highlighting the potential for insights at both the cognitive and neural level.