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How designers think creatively: an exploratory study in the use of visual and emotional mental imagery

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2024

Ian Marcus Edgecomb ,
Ross Brisco  and
Andrew Wodehouse
Ian Marcus Edgecomb*
Affiliation:
University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom
Ross Brisco
Affiliation:
University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom
Andrew Wodehouse
Affiliation:
University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom
*
ian.edgecomb@strath.ac.uk

Abstract

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Mental Imagery is a focus for design cognition research, with most research focusing on visual mental imagery, it has been highlighted that mental imagery encompasses more aspects than visual, including emotion known as multimodal mental imagery. So as researchers and educators we need to understand the cognitive process and how to best stimulate it. This paper looks at design students use of visual and emotional mental imagery and its impact on their ability to produce creative outcomes during the ideation stage of the design process.

Keywords

design cognitionproduct developmentconceptual design
Type
Human Behaviour and Design Creativity
Information
Proceedings of the Design Society , Volume 4: DESIGN 2024 , May 2024 , pp. 955 - 964
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
The Author(s), 2024.

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