Design Creativity

Weaving the threads of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurial learning through a university-located reality-TV and master class: Enterprise …

by Peter Mellalieu

Mellalieu, P. J. (1998). Weaving the threads of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurial learning through a university-located reality-TV and master class: Enterprise MasterWorks (EMW)™. International Conference on Higher Education and Small/Medium Enterprise (SMEs). Presented at the International Conference on Higher Education and Small/Medium Enterprise (SMEs), Rennes, France: Centre Études et Recherche EURO PME, Rennes International School of Business. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/emw1998

Prologue
A substantial gap is opening up between business faculties and leading edge business practice. Academics... more Prologue
A substantial gap is opening up between business faculties and leading edge business practice. Academics tend to dismiss the innovative struggles of leading edge businesses as faddism. By doing this they fail to recognise that what is often happening is that practising managers are confronting actual, experiential situations and finding that traditional practices no longer work. What seem to be fads are actually people struggling with new situations for which they have in- adequate models to help them understand - and they are getting inadequate help from academics at both the research and teaching levels. (Anna Smith, Business Education Quarterly Review, 1996)

Introduction
Enterprise MasterWorksTM (EMW) is a university-based educational programme that demonstrates a novel approach for developing competencies in entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity. EMW is framed as a star-tup small-medium enterprise (SME), staffed mainly by students of enterprise development. The EMW 'company' produces two products: (a) purpose-designed learning adventures, and (b) video training packages based around the competency requirements for creating efficacious entrepreneurs and innovators, science and technology managers, SME consultants and trainers, and SME managers.

Each episode of EMW is realised as an “as live-to-air master class and workshop”. In practice, each episode is a high-energy learning adventure that takes place in a television studio. A typical 160 minute episode includes:
• a workshop briefing from a guest “master” (such as an SME manager);
• an interview and fish bowl discussion with students;
• video inserts profiling the guest’s enterprise; a team-taught practical workshop;
• reflective insights; and learning connections to relevant theory and “masterful” entrepreneurial practice.

The EMW 'reality-TV' format results in a weaving together of the strengths of both academic thinking and good management practice, focussed directly on the personal and professional de- velopment interests of the programme participants.

Example video clips:
Enterprise MasterWorks - EMW Concept overview. (1997). Palmerston North, NZ: Massey University Television Production Centre. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4IKa6dy7_I&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Behind the scenes of Enterprise MasterWorks (EMW). (1997). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYrQLeJLfH0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Elements of an Enterprise MasterWorks (EMW) learning adventure. (1997). Palmerston North, NZ: Massey University Television Production Centre. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYya4gfcxs4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Evaluative questioning as a risk management tactic whilst innovating in teaching practice: The case of Enterprise MasterWorks (EMW). (1997). Palmerston North, NZ: Massey University Television Production Centre. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn_49OEpjhs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

See also:
Mellalieu, P. J. (1999). Beyond the Case Method: A Master Class for Enterprise Development. Think Global! Act Global! The role and impact of strategic management in the development of small enterprise and new ventures: Proceedings of the Annual Educators Conference of the New Zealand Strategic Management Society, 1 (Vol. 1, pp. 293–304). Presented at the 7th Annual Educators Conference of the New Zealand Strategic Management Society, Massey University, Palmerston North: New Zealand Strategic Management Society. Retrieved from http://unitec.academia.edu/PeterMellalieu/Papers/1571134/Beyond_the_Case_Method_A_Master_Class_for_Enterprise_Development


Mellalieu, P. J. (1998). Creating the virtual learning enterprise: Lessons from Enterprise MasterWorks. 6th New Zealand Strategic Management Educators Conference. Auckland University: New Zealand Strategic Management Society/Auckland University. Retrieved from http://unitec.academia.edu/PeterMellalieu/Papers/1571162/Creating_the_virtual_learning_enterprise_Lessons_from_Enterprise_MasterWorks

Storyboarding an Animated Film: A CaseStudy of Multimodal Learning Processes in a Danish Upper Secondary School

by Lisbeth Frolunde

Spirits, Genes and Walt Disney’s Deer: creativity in identity and archaeology disputes (Altai, Siberia)

by Ludek Broz

Methods that may stimulate creativity and their use in architectural design education

by Doris Kowaltowski

Lighting on the hyperbolic plane: Towards a new approach to controlling light on the theatre stage

by Nick Hunt

Published in the International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media, 7.2 (Autumn 20011)

Lighting control systems for the theatre are generally based on the ‘state/cue’ model, in which static snapshot... more Lighting control systems for the theatre are generally based on the ‘state/cue’ model, in which static snapshot lighting pictures or ‘states’ replace one another at various cue points through the duration of the performance. This way of structuring lighting (and the data that represent it in the control system) derives historically from the ‘preset’ lighting boards that came to dominate the design of lighting controls in the post-war period and is now well established in current computerized controls.
In this article I argue that the data model used to represent the lighting within the ‘state/cue’ conception is a model based on a geometry of straight lines, grids and angles: a Euclidean and Cartesian geometry. I also argue that such a data model privileges the static over the dynamic and the synchronic over the diachronic and that this privileging has consequences for the expressive potential of light on stage. I go on to propose an alternative data model inspired by the geometry of hyperbolic planes and state-spaces, which is structured by an aesthetic logic of lighting. This ‘thread/impulse’ model is intended to promote the lighting designer’s engagement with the temporal dimension of light on stage, but also has implications for other theatre-making practices and personnel that I briefly outline.

The Distributed Studio: Towards a Theory of Virtual Place for Creative Collaboration

by Viveka Weiley

Co-authored with Yusuf Pisan.
Published in OZCHI '08 Proceedings of the 20th Australasian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction: Designing for Habitus and Habitat
ACM New York, NY, USA

Virtual environments intended to support creative collaboration are being built without an informed consideration of... more Virtual environments intended to support creative collaboration are being built without an informed consideration of the implicit interaction design choices being made. This paper proposes a set of design principles for such environments. Drawing from theory and reflective practice we suggest a conceptual focus on a Distributed Studio designed around the following five principles: Support Reconfiguration, Mix Realities, Control Access, Be A/Synchronous, and Transform Space into Inhabited Place.

Curious Design Agents and Artificial Creativity: A Synthetic Approach to the Study of Creative Behaviour

by Rob Saunders

Saunders, R.: (2001) Curious Design Agents and Artificial Creativity, Ph.D. Thesis, Faculty of Architecture, The University of Sydney.

Creative products are generally recognised as satisfying two requirements: firstly they are useful, and secondly they... more Creative products are generally recognised as satisfying two requirements: firstly they are useful, and secondly they are novel. Much effort in AI and design computing has been put into developing systems that can recognise the usefulness of the products that they generate. In contrast, the work presented in this thesis has concentrated on developing computational systems that are able to recognise the novelty of their work. The research has shown that when computational systems are given the ability to recognise both the novelty and the usefulness of their products they gain a level of autonomy that opens up new possibilities for the study of creative behaviour in single agents and the emergence of social creativity in multi-agent systems.

The work presented in this thesis has developed a model of curiosity in design as the selection of design actions with the goal of generating novel artefacts. Agents that embody this model of curiosity are called “curious design agents”. The behaviour of curious design agents is demonstrated with a range of applications to visual and non-visual design domains. Visual domains include rectilinear drawings, Spirograph patterns, and “genetic artworks” similar to the work of Karl Sims. Non-visual domains include an illustrative abstract design space useful for visualising the behaviour of curious agents and the design of doorways to accommodate the passage of large crowds. The design methods used in the different domains show that the model of curiosity is applicable to models of designing by direct manipulation, parametric configuration or by using a separate design tool that embodies the generative aspects of the design process.

In addition, an approach to developing multi-agent systems with autonomous notions of creativity called artificial creativity is presented. The opportunities for studying social creativity in design are illustrated with an artificial creativity system used to study the emergence of social notions of whom and what are creative in a society of curious design agents. Developing similar artificial creativity systems promises to be a useful synthetic approach to the study of socially situated, creative design.

On the benefits and pitfalls of analogies for innovative design: Ideation performance based on analogical distance, commonness, and modality of examples

by Joel Chan

Co-authored with Katherine Fu, Christian Schunn, Jonathan Cagan, Kenneth Kotovsky, and Kristin Wood

Published in Journal of Mechanical Design

Drawing inspiration from examples by analogy can be a powerful tool for innovative design during conceptual ideation... more Drawing inspiration from examples by analogy can be a powerful tool for innovative design during conceptual ideation but also carries the risk of negative design outcomes (e.g., design fixation), depending on key properties of examples. Understanding these properties is critical for effectively harnessing the power of analogy. The current research explores how variations in analogical distance, commonness, and representa- tion modality influence the effects of examples on conceptual ideation. Senior-level engi- neering students generated solution concepts for an engineering design problem with or without provided examples drawn from the U.S. Patent database. Examples were crossed by analogical distance (near-field vs. far-field), commonness (more vs. less-common), and modality (picture vs. text). A control group that received no examples was included for comparison. Effects were examined on a mixture of ideation process and product var- iables. Our results show positive effects of far-field and less-common examples on novelty and variability in quality of solution concepts. These effects are not modulated by modal- ity. However, detailed analyses of process variables suggest divergent inspiration path- ways for far-field vs. less-common examples. Additionally, the combination of far-field, less-common examples resulted in more novel concepts than in the control group. These findings suggest guidelines for the effective design and implementation of design-by-anal- ogy methods, particularly a focus on far-field, less-common examples during the ideation process.

Leading for Innovation: Direct and Indirect Influences

by Lily Cushenbery

Hunter, S. T., & Cushenbery, L. (2011). Leading for innovation: Direct and indirect influences. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 13(3), 248-263.

Despite growing interest in developing and producing creative products, much remains unknown about how to best... more Despite growing interest in developing and producing creative products, much remains unknown about how to best facilitate the innovative process. Through a review and integration of creativity, innovation, and leadership literatures, we propose that leaders are one of the primary driving forces in increasing innovative output. To help clarify how leaders achieve this influence, we offer a model of leading for innovation where creativity and innovation are depicted as series of interrelated processes that span multiple levels of analysis (individual, team, and organization). The proposed framework illustrates the direct and indirect ways direct leaders enhance innovation with the resulting discussion helping to highlight the range of behaviors and activities that leaders might engage in to help encourage creative productivity. The implications of our model for HRD scholars, professionals, and other stakeholders—such as executive level leaders, retailers, investors, and consumers—are also discussed.

Measuring the creative baseline in transport design education

by Jane Osmond

Co-authored with Turner, A. Published in Improving Student Learning - For What? Proceedings of the 2007 15th International Symposium.

This paper focuses on how using Meyer and Land’s (2003) notion of threshold concepts as a research framework... more This paper focuses on how using Meyer and Land’s (2003) notion of threshold concepts as a research framework facilitated the exploration of spatial awareness development, which could be considered as the existing creative baseline of the Transport and Product Design course at Coventry University.

Meyer and Land define threshold concepts as concepts that: ‘...can be considered as akin to a portal, opening up a new and previously inaccessible way of thinking about something. They represent a transformed way of understanding, or interpreting, or viewing something without which the learner cannot progress.’ (2003). Spatial awareness was presented for discussion to both staff and students as a potential threshold concept.

Initial research highlighted differences in perceptions between course team members and between students of spatial awareness, which reflected the literature in which several phrases and definitions are offered. These discussions allowed the identification of several possible threshold concepts which informed the development of a pilot measurement tool which, in conjunction with Bodner and Guay’s Purdue Visualization of Rotations Test (1997), was administered to first year students in October 2006.

The aim of the tests was to ascertain if there was a correlation between student scores on the measurement tool on entry to the course and end-of-year assessment results. With such a correlation, pedagogic interventions could then be targeted at those students who perform relatively poorly on the tests at entry. Conversely, if there was no correlation, then a question would need to be raised about the centrality of spatial awareness to the first year of study: perhaps another definition of spatial awareness, or the ‘creative baseline’, would need to be found.

No correlation between first year student scores on the measurement tools and end-of-year assessment results was found, although there was some correlation between the results of both tests, indicating that they did indeed measure similar aspects of students’ spatial abilities. However, as this bore no relation to assessment results, more research is needed in identifying the key threshold concepts on the course. Early indications are that the ‘confidence to challenge’, possibly akin to Perkins’ idea of ‘breakthrough thinking’, is a potential threshold concept.

More research to investigate whether the ‘confidence to challenge’ is a threshold concept is to take place and may well help to unearth what one member of staff described as the ‘underlying agenda of things we know the students need to have’, that is at the heart of a very successful course.

Factors Influencing Creativity in Virtual Design Teams

by Petros Chamakiotis

CHAMAKIOTIS, P. (2011). Factors Influencing Creativity in Virtual Design Teams. In: Poster Session and Booklet of ASME 2011 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences (IDETC) and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (CIE), August 28-31, Washington DC, USA.

Another way of thinking: Creativity and Conformity

by Erik Bohemia

co-authored with Kerry Harman

This paper explores possible tactics for academics working within a context of regulation and constraint. One tactic... more This paper explores possible tactics for academics working within a context of regulation and constraint. One tactic we suggest is moving outside of a creativity/conformity binary. Rather than understanding creativity and conformity as separate, where one is understood as excluding the other, we discuss the potential of examining the relationships between them. We use the theme of ‘structure and play’ to illustrate our argument. In the first part of the paper using various examples from art and design, fields generally associated with creativity, we explore the interrelatedness of creativity and conformity. For example, how might design styles, which are generally understood as creative outcomes, constrain creativity and lead to conformity within the design field? Is fashion producing creativity or conformity? Conversely, the ways conformity provides the conditions for creativity are also examined. For example, the conformity imposed by the State on artists within the communist block and how this contributed to a thriving underground arts movement which challenged conformity and State regulation. Continuing the theme of ‘structure and play’ we provide a story from an Australian university which offers insight into the ongoing renegotiation of power in the academy. This account illustrates the ways programmatic government within the university, with the aim of regulating conduct, contributed to unanticipated outcomes. We propose that a relational view of power is useful for academics operating in the current higher education context as it brings into view sites where power might begin to be renegotiated.

The Headspace Project: Computer-Assisted Fabrication as an Introduction to Digital Architectural Design

by Stanislav Roudavski

WITH PRESENTATION SLIDES. Cite as: Roudavski, Stanislav and Anne-Marie Walsh (2011). 'The Headspace Project: Computer-Assisted Fabrication as an Introduction to Digital Architectural Design', in Circuit Bending, Breaking and Mending: Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia, ed. by Christiane M. Herr, Ning Gu, Marc Aurel Schnabel and Stanislav Roudavski, pp. 579-588

Written for architectural educators, this paper discusses whether digital fabrication can be usefully employed in... more Written for architectural educators, this paper discusses whether digital fabrication can be usefully employed in early architectural education. The paper uses examples from a course that aims to introduce the fundamentals of digital architectural design to first-year students. To achieve this, the course integrates digital fabrication as the core element of the production workflow. Challenging but rewarding, early adoption of digital fabrication exposes students to the process- and material-based thinking of contemporary architecture at a time when they form lasting attitudes to designing.

Design E Sensorialità

by Dina Riccò

Olympic Ceremony Design vs Lateral Thinking: Spectacular Creativity

by Wichian Lattipongpun

Design Principles and Practices: An International Journal, Volume 4, Issue 4, pp.11-20. (2010)

The Olympic Games’ Opening Ceremony has always been a challenge among practitioners in media and installation... more The Olympic Games’ Opening Ceremony has always been a challenge among practitioners in media and installation industries. In every four year cycle, it draws a lot of international attention. The creativity and preparation of the opening ceremony must be complex, elaborate and innovative; it results in a uniqueness in each ceremony. Therefore, the ceremonies are usually unpredictable. Significantly, the ceremony is broadcast live through international media networks; however, there is only one chance to exhibit it. Mistakes can occur in the presentation, but they will not be anticipated. In order to generate this spectacular ceremony, creative thinking must be involved. I propose to apply the Lateral Thinking (Creative thinking technique), invented by Edward de Bono, as a research metaphor to analyse the Athens 2004 Olympic Games’ Opening Ceremony as a case study. It is anticipated, the results of this study will illustrate whether or not de Bono’s lateral thinking technique is applicable to approach this mega-tainment ceremony.

Rooted Modernity: Reconstructing Memory in Architecture

by Samia Rab

Chapter n Menin, S. (ed.) Constructing Place, Routledge, 2003.

Rooted Modernity: Reconstructing Memory in Architecture

by Samia Rab

Chapter n Menin, S. (ed.) Constructing Place, Routledge, 2003.

Carlo Scarpa’s Re-designing of Castelvecchio in Verona

by Samia Rab

Paper in ACSA Seminar Proceedings, Washington, D.C., 1998

Species of Drawing in Landscape Architecture

by Paul Cureton

Journal of Green Places, September, Issue 58, 2009, pp 42-43.

BOUCHARD C., AOUSSAT A., Design process perceived as an information process to enhance the introduction of new tools, International Journal of Vehicle Design, Vol 31.2, ISSN 0143-3369, Inderscience publisher, 2002, P162-175.

by Carole Bouchard