When tackling problems, designers might be inspired by different sources, whether concrete or abstract. The more concrete sources often comprise representations of potential solutions or examples of existing designs. The more abstract sources often represent the desirable properties of engineered systems, such as modular system architectures. We performed an experiment with 60 novice designers to compare the inspiration effects from these two types of stimuli. Participants were asked to solve a design problem, having been exposed to a concrete example design, an abstract system property, both, or no stimulus at all. Their design work was assessed according to four metrics: fluency, diversity, commonness, and conformity. Exposure to either the example design or the system property reduced the fluency and diversity of ideas, and exposure to both stimuli reduced these measures even further. While there was no difference in the inspiration effects from the example and the property in terms of fluency, diversity, and commonness; results for conformity showed that each stimulus constrained participants differently: encouraging ideas similar to one type of stimulus, while discouraging ideas similar to the other type. In combination with other work on inspiration and fixation, these findings can help shape how design is taught and how inspiration tools are developed.
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March 2017
Research-Article
Inspiration and Fixation: The Influences of Example Designs and System Properties in Idea Generation
Luis A. Vasconcelos,
Luis A. Vasconcelos
Department of Engineering,
University of Cambridge,
Trumpington Street,
Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
e-mail: lal40@cam.ac.uk
University of Cambridge,
Trumpington Street,
Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
e-mail: lal40@cam.ac.uk
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Carlos C. Cardoso,
Carlos C. Cardoso
Faculty Industrial Design Engineering,
Delft University of Technology,
Landbergstraat 15,
Delft 2628CE, The Netherlands
e-mail: c.m.cardoso@tudelft.nl
Delft University of Technology,
Landbergstraat 15,
Delft 2628CE, The Netherlands
e-mail: c.m.cardoso@tudelft.nl
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Maria Sääksjärvi,
Maria Sääksjärvi
Faculty Industrial Design Engineering,
Delft University of Technology,
Landbergstraat 15,
Delft 2628CE, The Netherlands
e-mail: m.c.saaksjarvi@tudelft.nl
Delft University of Technology,
Landbergstraat 15,
Delft 2628CE, The Netherlands
e-mail: m.c.saaksjarvi@tudelft.nl
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Chih-Chun Chen,
Chih-Chun Chen
Department of Engineering,
University of Cambridge,
Trumpington Street,
Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
e-mail: ccc54@cam.ac.uk
University of Cambridge,
Trumpington Street,
Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
e-mail: ccc54@cam.ac.uk
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Nathan Crilly
Nathan Crilly
Department of Engineering,
University of Cambridge,
Trumpington Street,
Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
e-mail: nc266@cam.ac.uk
University of Cambridge,
Trumpington Street,
Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
e-mail: nc266@cam.ac.uk
Search for other works by this author on:
Luis A. Vasconcelos
Department of Engineering,
University of Cambridge,
Trumpington Street,
Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
e-mail: lal40@cam.ac.uk
University of Cambridge,
Trumpington Street,
Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
e-mail: lal40@cam.ac.uk
Carlos C. Cardoso
Faculty Industrial Design Engineering,
Delft University of Technology,
Landbergstraat 15,
Delft 2628CE, The Netherlands
e-mail: c.m.cardoso@tudelft.nl
Delft University of Technology,
Landbergstraat 15,
Delft 2628CE, The Netherlands
e-mail: c.m.cardoso@tudelft.nl
Maria Sääksjärvi
Faculty Industrial Design Engineering,
Delft University of Technology,
Landbergstraat 15,
Delft 2628CE, The Netherlands
e-mail: m.c.saaksjarvi@tudelft.nl
Delft University of Technology,
Landbergstraat 15,
Delft 2628CE, The Netherlands
e-mail: m.c.saaksjarvi@tudelft.nl
Chih-Chun Chen
Department of Engineering,
University of Cambridge,
Trumpington Street,
Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
e-mail: ccc54@cam.ac.uk
University of Cambridge,
Trumpington Street,
Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
e-mail: ccc54@cam.ac.uk
Nathan Crilly
Department of Engineering,
University of Cambridge,
Trumpington Street,
Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
e-mail: nc266@cam.ac.uk
University of Cambridge,
Trumpington Street,
Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
e-mail: nc266@cam.ac.uk
Contributed by the Design Theory and Methodology Committee of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL DESIGN. Manuscript received April 15, 2016; final manuscript received December 7, 2016; published online January 12, 2017. Assoc. Editor: Andy Dong.
J. Mech. Des. Mar 2017, 139(3): 031101 (13 pages)
Published Online: January 12, 2017
Article history
Received:
April 15, 2016
Revised:
December 7, 2016
Citation
Vasconcelos, L. A., Cardoso, C. C., Sääksjärvi, M., Chen, C., and Crilly, N. (January 12, 2017). "Inspiration and Fixation: The Influences of Example Designs and System Properties in Idea Generation." ASME. J. Mech. Des. March 2017; 139(3): 031101. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4035540
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