The march of technology

The inroad of digital tools on design has been dramatic, both in terms of process (digitalisation) and outcome (digitisation). For example, in graphic design, the computer, both hard- and software, has much reduced the use of traditional pen and paper. Digitalisation is impacting design thinking and research too, through search engines, social media and chatbots. Also, efficiency criteria in industry have put digitalisation at the forefront of professional practice (although it can be quite inefficient to try to measure efficiency in creative contexts). For instance, architecture, where Building information modelling, BIM - a digital process that facilitates collaborative working in design, construction, maintenance and use of buildings - is becoming industry standard even in the pre-design phase. Moreover, integration of BIM and AI systems has made designers increasingly dependent on digitalisation. In design education, the impact of the digital age has seen a decline in the use of traditional tools which limits the sensory experience afforded by analogue tools. But whatever tools employed, analogue or digital, all need to be used skillfully and responsibly. Technical developments, however, highlight potential risks to human judgement from, say, implementing AI suggestions without critical evaluation. That is, the ethical and operational risks of digital decisions. 

Reflective ideation

Efforts to get the ideas flowing - "Just begin" (see the previous blog entry) - are enhanced through capturing and reflecting on the process of generating and developing ideas. That is, to keep a sketchbook, notebook or visual diary to help track and reflect on the ideation process as it happens, or "reflection-in-action" (Schön 1991). Capturing and reflecting on the ideas generated, moreover, will help raise the awareness not only of what ideation tools and techniques are being used in the process but also feelings, sensations and reactions associated with the process. That is, keeping track of what happens during the ideation process is turning ideation into a recorded learning experience.

Just begin

John Cage (1912-1992), the US composer and philosopher, knew well the challenges of just getting started. For him, music was a complete universe that could be entered at any point to find something to work with: 'Begin anywhere', he advised. And so with design and the ideation workshop. But that is not to say that ideation begins with a clean slate or that the mind starts blank (tabula rasa). In reality, nobody begins from scratch. Even in computer science, AI included, an initial data-set or knowledge-base is placed there by the human designer. And so, every designer consciously or not, draws on a reservoir of past ideas and forms, and, as a practice unfolds, past experience: incomplete projects, intuitions and half-formed thoughts that have been put aside to revisit later. But also, a project is never fully contained in its beginning. That is, the first sketch is just that: a beginning, an intuition to be developed, and whatever is drawn there will change and evolve as it is fleshed out. If there is no capacity for change, it’s a flawed beginning. The role of drawing, then, as a fluid medium of thought is a place where designers can set down and test ideas, a medium always incomplete. More, https://drawingmatter.org/just-begin/

BrAIn storming

Ideation signifies idea generation in general without referring to any specific technique or method. One such creative thinking technique is brainstorming in which a group of people, or an individual come up with new ideas in response to a prompt. The brainstorming sessions typically focus on the quantity of ideas and welcome all kinds of ideas be they absurd, foolish, strange, or fantastical. That is, brainstorming allows for any idea to be voiced, and without judgement. The freewheeling approach to ideation, however, has been criticised for promoting group-think, mediocrity or out of hand results. Yet the application of the method, which was originally developed to stimulate idea generation in the US advertising industry, has gained new interest with web scraping, or AI data harvesting. That is, GenAI, in responding to prompts, provides not only vast quantities of ideas of great variety and at high speed but enhances the quality of ideas through seemingly unlimited combinations of ideas. In short, GenAI has the power either to replace or enhance the traditional brainstorming session resulting in ideation on a massive scale, or brAIn storming. Indeed AI-generated creative content is increasingly difficult to tell apart from human-created work, at least for everyday design tasks, that is, when dealing with "tame" rather than "wicked" design problems.

Jack of all ideas

The phrase 'Jack of all trades, master of none' often has a negative connotation in that it suggests someone who is kind of skilled in a variety of things but isn't an expert in anything. However, the phrase actually comes from a longer quote that has a more positive message: 'Jack of all trades, master of none, though oftentimes better than the master of one'. It means that even though a jack of all trades may not be a master at anything, their diverse skills often make them better than someone who is only a master of one subject. And since Jack knows a lot about different subjects, they have multiple perspectives. These perspectives are useful when generating ideas and finding new ways of problem solving. Indeed, historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo Galilei were jacks of all trades. In other words, Jack is no other than the versatile ideator or, Jack of all ideas!

The workshop revisited

This long-running workshop is instrumental in raising the awareness of the use of ideation tools through hands-on practice. The hands-on approach embraces both analogue and digital ideation tools, from traditional sketching to using an AI prompt writer. The theme of each workshop situates ideation in the widest context reflecting design as an ever-changing social and cultural activity. The workshop, then, plays an experimental and critical role in a generating ideas that are innovative as they are purposeful. Individual ideas are presented to group which are followed by open discussion. In the discussion there are no habitual assumptions or procedures. Indeed the workshop participants are invited to find their own voices fostering individual agency.

Solo, duo or group ideation?

A common question about ideation is whether it is a solo, two-person or group activity? The workshop experience shows that in the conceptual design stage, pairs of designers acting "with one spirit" can be more fruitful than solo designers. Moreover,  a classic 1970 paper by Torrance showed that two-person interaction produced twice as many original ideas, produced ideas of twice as much originality, increased enjoyment, and led subjects to attempt more difficult tasks. This reflects how ideation is influenced and shaped by participants' social interactions that provide inspiration and emotional satisfaction. And so, solo ideators may find that subsequent brainstorming in group can improve the overall quantity and quality of ideas generated. In short, whether solo, duo and group ideation, the quality and variety of ideas improve when exposed to other ideas, as experienced when ideas are shared and discussed in the workshop's plenary session.

One idea at a time

Think you can juggle twelve sparky ideas today? Working on multiple ideas simultaneously? Can you have too many ideas at any one time? Think again - this approach to ideation has its drawbacks, and may be unsuitable for more distinct problems. It could be related to, for example, avoidance, procrastination, lack of self discipline or choice overload through GenAI. Or it could be not knowing what your values are, it could be lack of true motivation and lot of wishing instead of action. But no matter the ideation experience, it is good practice to keep notes on all ideas and focus and pick one idea - just one - and develop it and present something catchy. And remember, nobody can figure out if ideas will be successful - ideas are just suggestions, not final plans or outcomes.

A sketch is a sketch is a sketch ...

In the digital age, where keyboards and touchscreens dominate everyday design activity, freehand drawing might seem like "old school". Arguably, however, digital drawing is just a different medium with different capabilities and to draw digitally is performing the same mechanical action as to draw traditionally. That is, the foundations are the same and the aim is the same. Moreover, it could be said that the digital medium affords more control over the design process allowing designers to focus on creativity rather than medium-specific techniques. Also, digital image generators have the advantage of making things look sharp, shiny and pretty, and delivered at speed. However, in the studio, the pencil remains a hands-on tool for generating and communicating ideas. In fact, research shows that hand-drawing is a complex cognitive process that allows for more deliberate thinking as well as greater spontaneity. Also, to draw, and write by hand can offer more time or opportunity to explore and reflect on ideas and express them visually, be it in the format of a sketchbook, creative journal or mind mapping. Furthermore, the physical act of freehand drawing is multi-sensory, feeds imagination and recalls memory while addressing both the rational and emotional sides of the design task. Indeed the sketch is a go-to tool for speculation. And so, practise freehand sketching or lose it!

Originality in the age of AI

GenAI has rapidly become a starting point in the ideation process as AI systems are capable of generating novel ideas that surprise even the most creative designer. Yet the generative models used to produce texts, images, videos, or other forms of data, may result in designers producing ideas that seem to lack originality. That is, the assumption that original ideas are manifestations of human thinking. If so, GenAI might challenge or compromise a designer's creative identity leading to digital dissociation with reality. That is, digital technology makes the designer feeling somewhat detached from the traditional material world. What is then originality in the age of AI when knowledge production, which includes creative action becomes increasingly distributed, collaborative and mediated by technology? When collaboration between human and machine heralds a democratic design process where "everything is design"and "everybody is a designer".* Integrating design and AI, then, suggests a rethink of the conception of originality and its relationship to design. Indeed, what makes, or who is a designer in the age of AI? * Already back in the 1960s, designers, such as the Archigram collective were interested in how the consumer could be part of the design process, not just a recipient.

GenAI's impact on ideation

While the workshop raises the awareness of the range of ideation tools available to designers viz. words, sketching, modelling and computing, design, as a practice, is inherently intertwined with technological progress. And so designers necessarily are adjusting to and adopting new ways of generating and communicating ideas - the latest being GenAI technologies such as ChatGPT and Midjourney. As a result designers, both in education and professional practice, find that GenAI is influencing the ways they go about ideation. But more than this; the rapid advancement of GenAI programmed to create new "original" content by learning from vast datasets, is having significant transformational affect on both design thinking and practice. Moreover, adoption of GenAI, as a data rich tool, is likely to help quicken the pace of, and to lower the cost of improvement and innovation in the design industry. It is also likely to challenge traditional studio-based teaching and learning transforming design education.

AI tool as agent for change

Designers are increasingly using AI in their role as agents for change to society*. That is, designers, together with AI have the capacity to influence or act in the world of design (largely defined). The human-AI collaboration, or interactive agency is now an everyday activity, from education to professional practice to an extent that text-to-image generators, for example, have become purposeful, goal-directed agents in themselves or, to borrow terminology for sociology, agents of intentional action. The rise of AI opens up the debate to what extent AI has autonomous agency. What seems certain though is that AI agency is impacting the role of the designer progressively shifting their roles from that of primarily producing a material good or service to that of ideator and facilitator addressing human needs and wants with emphasis of what is unique to human agency, notably equitable, sustainable and ethical concerns.* 41% of British architects are using AI in some way, in RIBA AI Report 2024.