A Three‐Pronged Approach for Overcoming Design Fixation

Abstract

Earthquakes, lightning, and history‐changing ideas are classic examples of powerful, unpredictable forces of nature. These sorts of phenomena have been difficult to explain and predict, an often frustrating fact as humans try to understand and control the significant influences in our lives. Historically, such phenomena have been attributed to supernatural sources, such as the Muses or various deities. And yet, as scientific inquiry continues to focus on such problems, we begin to make progress, albeit incremental, in comprehending such unpredictable occurrences. Earthquakes and lightning serve as analogies for the phenomenon referred to as insight. As such, these analogies may help us better understand where ideas come from; in each case, the rare, and potentially powerful phenomenon occurs unexpectedly, yet, as we learn more, it becomes better understood. Lightning is an electrical phenomenon, caused by particles colliding, and building up large electrical fields in the clouds. Earthquakes occur at the edges of tectonic plates, as the Earth releases its heat. Thus, we may begin to understand what causes insight, even though we cannot as yet predict specific occurrences of new insights. Analogies may not provide fully developed solutions to problems, but they can help us restructure our thinking about certain problems. Problem restructuring is especially appropriate when fixation obstructs problem solving. In this paper, we will explain a few of the fundamentals about human insight experiences, particularly in relation to what have been termed incubation effects. Putting a fixated problem aside can be helpful, and new ideas encountered during fixation can sometimes trigger new insights, particularly if useful analogies help resolve fixation. How does one overcome the counterproductive effects of fixation? We suggest a three‐pronged approach to this problem: 1. Forgetting fixation, 2. Redefining problems, and 3. Using clues or hints to provoke new ideas. We will explain each of these ideas, in brief, after providing a background for insight, incubation, and fixation.

The Effects of Individual Differences in Working Memory Capacity and Design Environment on Design Fixation

“…This theory is in keeping with incubation models that predict that even when designers take time off task; their cognitive processes continue (Smith & Linsey, 2011). Likewise, designers in our study with lower WMC may have depleted their cognitive resources by recalling what they disliked in the fixation poster before developing new ideas that forced them to rely on previous ideas.…”

Using the Digital Context to Overcome Design Fixation: A Strategy to Expand Students’ Design Thinking

“…Further, they found that both novice and expert designers who were shown pictorial examples reused more features from those examples than those not shown such examples. A number of follow-up studies reported similar results in relation to the fixation effects that occurred when participants were shown examples during the design process (Chrysikou & Weisberg, 2005;Linsey et al, 2010;Smith & Linsey, 2011). Purcell and Gero (1991) reviewed the results of recent experiments addressing the fixation issues in design problem solving with a focus on what implications they have for design education.…”

“…The initial definitions of problems may be associated with typical work contexts that are similar to those in which previous problems have been defined. To avoid any fixation effect in relation to existing solutions, design problems need to be redefined by considering fixation effects outside a designer's typical work situation (Smith & Linsey, 2011). When working on design tasks, designers must articulate problems, generate design solutions and employ appropriate strategies in relation to the design activities.…”

“…According to Smith and Linsey (2011) incubation effects in problem-solving are essential cases for creative design in which insightful solutions are frequently realised if an individual temporarily stops working on a difficult problem. Incubation effects provide unexpected insights into memory, creative problem solving and brainstorming (Choi & Smith, 2005;Kohn & Smith, 2009;Vul & Pashler, 2007).…”

Engineering creativity support for future research and development

“…The appeal to generate more and more ideas as possible problem solutions, over a limited period of time, is another method of developing the consciousness of the possible solutions' diversity. The developing of metaphoric thinking, according to Smith & Linsey (2011), can be realized by using analogies in describing products, processes, etc. (ways of measuring different parameters, different means of production).…”