Creative industrial design and computer-based image retrieval: The role of aesthetics and affect

Abstract

A study is reported that examined the effectiveness of computer-based image retrieval as a support tool for creative industrial design. Participants were given a design brief for a concept car, and asked to retrieve images from the web that would provide inspiration for this design task. They then rated various aesthetic, affective, and inspirational aspects of the images, and a second sample of participants rated the search terms that they had used. Emotional inspiration was important to designers, arising in part from a broad semantic theme and in part from the inspirational values of the more 'fundamental' image properties of colour and layout. The pattern of results suggested that some designers adopted a more risky (less efficient) search strategy in order to access emotional image content. Aesthetic and affective aspects of the retrieved images predicted inspirational value. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.