Cognitive basis for conceptual design

Engineering design is a highly iterative process. Nevertheless, the set of solution principles obtained during the conceptual phase seems to establish the universe of discourse for that design task. The richness, fertility, and completeness of this set of solution principles critically affects the character of the design to be. This seed pool of ideas seems to shower only the gifted designers and problem solvers. The moment of creation, the breakthrough, always has an aura of mystery surrounding it. However, it is important that this process be studied empirically. This article presents an operational model of the cognitive processes at the breakthrough stage of conceptual design. The model is then used to analyze some illustrative examples. We believe that this initial operational glimpse into how ideas happen will help designers confront unsolved problems. This operational view of the creative process may also influence how designers will be trained in problem solving.