Title: Designers' own emotions and the practice of designing: a literature review and preliminary research agenda

Authors: Alisa Hutchinson; Monica W. Tracey

Addresses: College of Education, Wayne State University, 355 Education, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA ' College of Education, Wayne State University, 355 Education, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA

Abstract: There has been growing research attention to the role that users' emotions may have in design, but little work has been done on how designers' own emotions may influence design cognition, action, and outcomes. This article explores the topic by first considering psychological research on emotion and creativity (which is a close correlate with design activity from a design thinking position). Available research studies on designers and their emotional states is then discussed. While there are consistencies between the two lines of inquiry, the professional design context requires original research separate from the psychological literature to understand how emotions differentially influence designers in real-world contexts. Finally, considerations for future research on designers' own emotions are outlined and explored.

Keywords: design thinking; design research; designers and emotions; emotion; cognition; creativity; emotional influences on design.

DOI: 10.1504/JDR.2017.089902

Journal of Design Research, 2017 Vol.15 No.3/4, pp.197 - 213

Accepted: 21 Sep 2017
Published online: 18 Feb 2018 *

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