Idea generation support system using recollection of visual representation

Abstract

Recently, variety of products and services has become diverse, and it is getting more difficult to produce innovative product which matches user needs. For the reason, idea generation which is expected to produce methods of generating creative idea is getting more necessary. In idea generation, numeral methods of generating idea are proposed, some of which are brainstorming, KJ method, user observation and design ethnography. However, most of the processes are dependent on designers themselves, and this is because most part of idea generation process is still remained to be unexplained. We propose idea generation model from the cognitive psychological point of view. With the model, we propose that by activating nonverbal memory which is abundant information resource compared to verbal memory, creative idea is expected to be generated. On the other hand, there is attention: the system which controls the visual information processing is suppressing nonverbal memory activation. In this paper, we propose that dispersing attention makes nonverbal memory system more activated. We created attention dispersion system using eye tracker, and attempted an experiment to access effect on idea processing. From the experiment, participants gave more terms when their attention was dispersed, compared to trail without support on attention dispersion.