Creativity Training in Higher Design Education

Abstract

Creativity training plays a significant role in design education. However, it is sometimes difficult for design educators to design and implement effective creativity training in a design school due to the diversity of interpretations of creativity. Thus, the aim of this paper is to foster further discussions on providing creativity training in higher design education. In this paper, using reference to the theory on creative design practice, thinking habits, styles, motivation, psychology and behaviour, I suggest that design educators should consider six factors before formulating their creativity training. They are: (1) identifying design students' thinking habits; (2) developing students' intrinsic motivation by fun; (3) developing students' positive and forward thinking; (4) enhancing students' self-determination; (5) managing students' emotions; and (6) removing students' obstacles to creativity. Moreover, a proposed learning process is also presented in this paper.