Title: Creativity and innovation in industrial design: wishful thinking?

Authors: P. Badke-Schaub

Addresses: Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Department of Product Innovation Management, Design Theory and Methodology, Delft University of Technology, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands

Abstract: This paper provides insights into non-technical characteristics influencing creativity in design. Describing designing as a process that is determined by a network of influences from several fields implies a broader view on innovation and creativity. The aim of this paper is to highlight the gap between the overall required claim for creativity and empirical data that point to the fact that creativity is a process that is not implemented in humans| prevalent thinking style. On the contrary, empirical data illustrate that idea generation – as an output of creativity – is mainly driven by a thinking process that avoids the exploration of the problem space and a detailed analysis of solution ideas, but is striving for quick decisions.

Keywords: creativity; idea generation; brain storming; innovation; thinking process; industrial design; design process.

DOI: 10.1504/JDR.2007.014881

Journal of Design Research, 2007 Vol.5 No.3, pp.353 - 367

Published online: 14 Aug 2007 *

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