is an open access repository that collects the work of Arts et Métiers ParisTech researchers and makes it freely available over the web where possible.This is an author-deposited version published in: http://sam.ensam.eu Handle ID: .http://hdl.handle.net/10985/7602 To cite this version :Céline MOUGENOT, Carole BOUCHARD, Améziane AOUSSAT, Steve WESTERMANInspiration, images and design : an investigation of designers' information gathering strategiesJournal of Design Research -Vol. 7, n°4, p.331-351 -2008 Any correspondence concerning this service should be sent to the repository Abstract: Computational tools should efficiently support, and even enhance, designers' creativity. As a ground for such developments, design cognition studies aim at describing designers' mental strategies within the design process. So far, most researches have been focused on the idea generation phases, e.g. sketching activity, which is explicit enough to be observed and described. However, the early stages of design remain incompletely understood, while the informational phase is identified as a crucial step of the design process. In this context, our objective is to identify and evaluate inspirational information used by designers before generating ideas, and to describe how inspirational information is used. In this article, we report a two-part study (interviews and experimental protocol) carried out with professional designers. The main outcomes demonstrate that traditional and electronic resources are not used in the same way by designers. We also show that information gathering strategies are strongly influenced by designers' preference.Keywords: creativity; design; design cognition; design computing; images; information retrieval; inspiration; kansei; sectors of influence.Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Mougenot, C., Bouchard, C., Aoussat, A. and Westerman, S. (2008)

This study examines the assumptions, perceptions, and attitudes towards contemporary robots in different cultures. As culture affects the way technology is perceived, it is essential to explore the psychological reactions through different cultures towards different designs of robots. Only a few studies have examined attitudes towards robots or dealt with the assumptions in a specific culture. The present study determines the influence of crucial factors like culture, prior exposure to robots through the media, and personal experiences of the emotions towards robots and examines the cultural differences between Europe and Japan.

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While Mixed Prototyping has proved to be e↵ective for the assessment of prototypes, this research aims to explore the use of Mixed Prototyping for the generation of early prototypes. To satisfy end-user's needs, new products need to be designed with an early integration of end-user requirements. An e cient way to achieve this is to directly integrate the end-users in the design process and give them an intelligible and interactive tool to perform specific design tasks. Current interactive tools to integrate end-users in the design process provide either a high level of immersion (e.g. CAVE) or a high level of control over the virtual prototype (e.g. Configurators). We designed a new Mixed Reality design tool which simultaneously allows end-users to be immersed in a virtual environment (immersion) and to interact with a virtual prototype and to modify it (control), resulting in e↵ective end user-interactions. In two design use-case scenarios, we assessed the enduser experience and satisfaction while using the tool and we also evaluated the impact of the tool on the creative process and the design outcomes. The findings show that, when users are provided with a tool that allows to directly perform design tasks and modify a virtual prototype, as compared to when they have no control, they are more engaged in the design tasks, more satisfied with the design process and they produce more creative outcomes.

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This study explores the characteristics of collaboration between people with Japanese value orientation in co-design workshops. We define co-design as an approach where designers collaborate with non-designers to design new products or services. This research investigates the effect of culture and value orientation on co-design between designers and non-designers in a Japanese context. Through interviews with four professional designers, we identified that the participation of Japanese non-designers in a co-design workshop might be hindered by the presence of an expert, who is perceived as a person in a higher social position. With 20 subjects, we experimentally investigated the impact of power distance on collaboration. European and Japanese groups of non-designers generated and discussed ideas in two conditions-with or without a professional designer in the group. Through behaviour and speech analysis, we assessed the quality of collaboration within the group. Depending on their power distance score, the contributions of participants were affected differently by the presence of a professional designer. Unlike in the European groups, the presence of a designer in a Japanese group created a hierarchical structure that hindered the participation of non-designers. This work is expected to support the development of co-design methods adapted to their cultural contexts.

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