Understanding creative interaction: a conceptual framework for use in the design of interactive systems for creative activities

Abstract

This thesis explores the possibility of a theoretical basis for the design of interactive systems that support creative activities, and – through theoretical, empirical and design-based research – develops a conceptual framework for the support of this process. The thesis begins by describing our current understanding of creativity, the notion of supporting creativity, and the relationships between creativity and interactive systems. It argues that an understanding of creative interaction could be of use in the design of systems for the support of creative activities. The method of enquiry employed to develop this understanding is for observations, a questionnaire and participatory task modelling approaches to be analysed, and the findings used to inform three prototype design and evaluation studies. Through this process, a conceptual framework consisting of three perspectives on creative interactions: Productive, Structural and Longitudinal is developed, with an example prototype system developed and evaluated from each perspective. As the conceptual framework generalises from the wide scope of activities that can be considered creative, the effects of some important contextual factors on instances of creativity are also analysed using the model. These comprise the Domain, the Interpersonal context, and the Expertise of those involved. Generic requirements, and questions for eliciting context-specific needs for the design of interactive systems are presented. Conclusions are drawn on both the utility of the conceptual framework to design, and the possibilities for extending this work in the future.

Date of Award	1 Sept 2009
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Peter Johnson (Supervisor), Hilary Johnson (Supervisor) & Leon Watts (Supervisor)