Inspiration in Elements of Nature for the Promotion of Creativity in the Conceptual Design of Products

Abstract

Creativity concept has been widely studied in the literature and is considered an innate factor in human being that is vital to grow as a society. In the design field, creativity is considered a fundamental factor for obtaining innovative products, and inspiration is regarded as a process that can be enhanced. Nature can be an inexhaustible source of resources for obtaining a great diversity of ideas that can be applied in product design. In addition to functionality, the visual appearance of the objects is also decisive to secure a favourable response from consumers and obtain greater success in the market. This paper presents, through a design example, a tool that favours the cognitive process from analogies while looking within different domains that support the creation of novel and original ideas. Through a selection process, the user relates different types of geometry to obtain images that help generate those new ideas. Therefore, this tool combines observation and the use of visual stimuli to promote creativity, using shapes and forms present in nature as a source of inspiration.