Article
Usability tests of ideation flexibility tools with engineering design practitioners
CoDesign
(2017)
Abstract
In an engineering context, ideation flexibility is defined as an
engineer’s ability to move between his or her preferred and nonpreferred
ways of generating ideas as required by the current task.
In this study, the usability of three specific tools for enhancing the
ideation flexibility of engineers—the Problem Framing Guide, Design
Heuristics and Cognitive Style-Based Teaming—was investigated with
design practitioners in a real-world setting. The performance and
perceptions of 16 professionals were analysed as they explored design
problems and solutions using these tools in a 3-h workshop. Study
outcomes show that all three tools have value in design ideation, with
room for improvement in terms of structured instructions for their use.
Additionally, results suggest that cognitive style does not influence
an individual’s performance with or perceptions of these tools, which
supports their value and validity for a general practitioner audience.
Keywords
- Conceptual design; design cognition; design tools; ideation flexibility; usability testing
Disciplines
Publication Date
Spring 2017
Citation Information
Seda McKilligan, Kathryn Jablokow, Shanna Daly and Eli Silk. "Usability tests of ideation flexibility tools with engineering design practitioners" CoDesign (2017) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/seda-yilmaz/24/