The Influence of Different Pictorial Representations During Idea Generation

During creative problem-solving, designers frequently come across a variety of rich visual displays. While browsing for different sources of information, pictorial representations of existing concepts take prominence. However, once designers start generating new solution ideas to design problems, they often become too attached to some of the examples they encounter. Inadequate and excessive repetition of key attributes (e.g. object features, principles) from existing solutions has been termed design fixation. The study presented here investigates the influence that different pictorial representations of a particular solution had upon industrial design students during an ideation exercise. The findings demonstrate high levels of repetition of particular key attributes in the outcome generated by the treatment groups, when compared to a control condition. The results also show that such attribute repetition led to the occurrence of design fixation, with a visible detrimental impact for particular aspects of the ideas generated. Reasons for the occurrence of design fixation are discussed in light of its implications to design quality; and ultimately, to the use of different types of pictorial stimuli in design practice.