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Creativity from constraints in engineering design: lessons learned at Coloplast.
- Source :
- Journal of Engineering Design; Apr2012, Vol. 23 Issue 4, p323-336, 14p
- Publication Year :
- 2012
-
Abstract
- This paper investigates the role of constraints in limiting and enhancing creativity in engineering design. Based on a review of literature relating constraints to creativity, the paper presents a longitudinal participatory study from Coloplast A/S, a major international producer of disposable medical equipment. At Coloplast, constraints played a fundamental role and the observations show the important, dual role of constraints in terms of being a limitation and a prerequisite for creativity. Too few or too many constraints had a negative impact on creativity, whereas the formulation, rationale and ownership of formal constraints played a crucial role in defining their influence on creativity – along with the tacit constraints held by the designers. The designers were found to be highly constraint focused, and four main creative strategies for constraint manipulation were observed: blackboxing, removal, introducing and revising. Constraints introduced late in a project contributed to the generation of new solutions to old problems, and existing solutions were creatively adopted to satisfy new constraints. This paper recommends creative constraint-handling strategies, as well as identifying potential directions for future research on the relationship between creativity and constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- ENGINEERING design
CREATIVE ability
INDUSTRIAL design
DESIGNERS
MILITARY strategy
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 09544828
- Volume :
- 23
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Journal of Engineering Design
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 71924261
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/09544828.2011.631904