Effects of Convergent and Divergent Feedback on Creative Thinking During Children’s Design Processes

Abstract

This paper explores patterns in the feedback preceding instances of design fixation in children (age 9 to 11) carrying out a co-design project. Our goal is to find ways to improve the early mastering of their divergent (DT) and convergent thinking (CT) skills, which in turn will help the children to develop their creative abilities. Previous research has shown that children who participate in a design process experience difficulty in adjusting, changing and elaborating previously selected design ideas. This dynamic is referred to as design fixation. In the case study presented here we analysed the feedback preceding the fixation moments of the children, using Eris’s question-driven design model. We found that most of the feedback was convergent in nature and, additionally, that feedback that could be considered divergent did, for the most part, not spark any DT processes within the design teams. We presume that the expectations and assumptions that were implicitly present in the feedback has negatively influenced the possibility of any new DT processes. Based on the conclusions of this research we will explore new methods and tools stimulating divergent feedback in order to prevent and overcome design fixation during the children’s design process.