A case study of design imagination in product design Online publication date: Sat, 28-Jun-2014
by Kuen-Meau Chen
J. of Design Research (JDR), Vol. 11, No. 2, 2013
Abstract: This research was conducted through a literature review, case studies, and interviews with experts on award-winning works in international design competitions. Through qualitative analysis of these design projects, the author identified several paths leading from imaginative constructs to conceptual development in the design process: thematic relationships, conjunctive interpretation, the transfer of attributes, inherited attributes, causal relationships, analogical relationships, multi-level inclusive relationships, and the interpretation of contrasting meaning. Lastly, statistical analysis was used to determine the weight of each conceptual development mode in the design process. Results show that the most significant mode of conceptual development in the overall design process is causal relationships, followed in decreasing order by multi-level inclusive relationships, the interpretation of contrasting meaning, and lastly, the interpretation failure. It is hoped that the results of this study will serve as a useful reference in design education, particularly with regard to the development of imaginative and creative capacity.
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the J. of Design Research (JDR):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:
Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.
If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com
Our Blog 
Follow us on Twitter 
Visit us on Facebook