Developing a Coding Scheme to Analyse Creativity in Highly-constrained Design Activities

Abstract

This work is part of a larger project which aims to investigate thenature of creativity and the effectiveness of creativity tools inhighly-constrained design tasks. This paper presents the research wherea coding scheme was developed and tested with a designer-researcher whoconducted two rounds of design and analysis on a highly-constraineddesign task. This paper shows how design changes can be coded using ascheme based on creative `modes of change'. The coding scheme can showthe way a designer moves around the design space, and particularly thestrategies that are used by a creative designer to skip from one `trainof solutions' to new avenues. The coding scheme can be made more robustby: ensuring design change is always coded relative to a referencedesign; tightening up definitions of `system', `element' and `function';and using a matrix to develop a more complete set of codes. A muchlarger study with more designers working on different types ofhighly-constrained design task is needed, in order to draw conclusionson the modes of change and their relationship to creativity.