Skip to main content
Article
Examining Design Fixation in Engineering Idea Generation: The Role of Example Modality.
International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation (2013)
  • Vimal Viswanathan, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Julie S. Linsey, Georgia Institute of Technology
Abstract
Design fixation is a major concern in engineering idea generation because it restricts the solution space in which designers search for their ideas. For designers to be more creative, it is essential to mitigate their fixation. The majority of studies in the literature investigate the role of pictorial stimuli in design fixation; however, the role of examples presented in other formats, including physical prototypes, is largely unknown. This paper presents a study that compares design fixation, in novice designers, caused by pictorial and physical representations. The effects of defixating materials proposed by Linsey et al. (2010) are also investigated. The results show that physical formats cause a higher magnitude of fixation than pictorial formats; however, participants utilizing physical examples produce a greater quantity of nonredundant ideas. Consistent with prior studies, the results also indicate that the defixation materials may not facilitate mitigation of novice designers' fixation.
Keywords
  • design fixation,
  • example modality,
  • idea generation,
  • physical representations,
  • pictorial representations
Publication Date
2013
DOI
10.1080/21650349.2013.774689
Publisher Statement
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in the International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation on March 20, 2013, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/21650349.2013.774689.
Citation Information
Vimal Viswanathan and Julie S. Linsey. "Examining Design Fixation in Engineering Idea Generation: The Role of Example Modality." International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation Vol. 1 Iss. 2 (2013) p. 109 - 129 ISSN: 2165-0349
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/vimal-viswanathan/7/