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Design and other types of fixation

Purcell, A.Terry, Gero, John S.·1996·Design Studies

DOI 10.1016/s0142-694x(96)00023-3

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Design fixation
Jansson, D. G., & Smith, S. M. (1991) · Design Studies · doi:10.1016/0142-694x(91)90003-f · Cited by 1,087
Reasoning in humans. II. The solution of a problem and its appearance in consciousness
Maier, N. R. F. (1931) · Journal of Comparative Psychology · doi:10.1037/h0071361 · Cited by 621
Artificial Intelligence in Design ’92
(1992) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-011-2787-5 · Cited by 136
Effects of examples on the results of a design activity
Purcell, A. T., & Gero, J. S. (1992) · Knowledge-Based Systems · doi:10.1016/0950-7051(92)90026-c · Cited by 113
Self-citation
Fixation effects: do they exist in design problem solving?
Purcell, A. T., Williams, P., Gero, J. S., & Colbron, B. (1993) · Environment and Planning B Planning and Design · doi:10.1068/b200333 · Cited by 72
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Items 101–200 of 551

Fixation and Commitment While Designing and its Measurement
Gero, J. S. (2011) · The Journal of Creative Behavior · doi:10.1002/j.2162-6057.2011.tb01090.x · Cited by 45
“Purcell and Gero carried out a series of experiments that elaborated on fixation in designing, reported in Purcell and Gero (1991), Purcell and Gero (1996) and Purcell et al (1994).”
BackgroundMethodSelf-citation
Designing in the context of fashion – designing the fashion context
Eckert, C. M., & Stacey, M. (2001) · Cited by 44
A review of design fixation: research directions and key factors
Alipour, L., Faizi, M., Moradi, A. M., & Akrami, G. (2018) · International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation · doi:10.1080/21650349.2017.1320232 · Cited by 44
“Designers are different due to their individual differences and level of education (Agogué, Poirel et al., 2014; Purcell & Gero, 1996).”
BackgroundInfluential
Using templates and mapping strategies to support analogical transfer in biomimetic design
Cheong, H., & Shu, L. H. (2013) · Design Studies · doi:10.1016/j.destud.2013.02.002 · Cited by 44
“Other studies have used categorical coding as a means to examine fixation effects (Chrysikou & Weisberg, 2005; Jansson & Smith, 1991; Linsey et al., 2010; Perttula & Liikkanen, 2006; Purcell & Gero, 1996; Tseng et al., 2008).”
Background
A computational study of creativity in design: The role of society
Sosa, R., & Gero, J. S. (2005) · Artificial intelligence for engineering design analysis and manufacturing · doi:10.1017/s089006040505016x · Cited by 44
“Imitation is chosen as the last option because designers seem to be fixated to “reinvent the wheel” ~ Purcell & Gero, 1996 !”
BackgroundSelf-citation
“If I was going to design a chair, the last thing I would look at is a chair”: product analysis and the causes of fixation in students’ design work 11–16 years
McLellan, R., & Nicholl, B. (2009) · International Journal of Technology and Design Education · doi:10.1007/s10798-009-9107-7 · Cited by 52
“Whilst a number of researchers have focussed on university-level design students (Christiaans and Venselaar 2005; Eastman 2000; Purcell and Gero 1996; Siu 2003), papers examining the”
Background
Formal computer-aided product family architecture design for mass customization
Bonev, M., Hvam, L., Clarkson, P. J., & Maier, A. M. (2015) · Computers in Industry · doi:10.1016/j.compind.2015.07.006 · Cited by 43
“This so called fixation effect restricts practitioners from constructing previously unknown yet potentially better solutions [32].”
Background
The effects of task instructions in crowdsourcing innovative ideas
Gillier, T., Chaffois, C., Belkhouja, M., Roth, Y., & Bayus, B. L. (2018) · Technological Forecasting and Social Change · doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2018.05.005 · Cited by 47
Taking Stock of Engineering Epistemology: Multidisciplinary Perspectives
Kant, V., & Kerr, E. T. (2018) · Philosophy & Technology · doi:10.1007/s13347-018-0331-5 · Cited by 49
The Evolution of “Co-evolution” (Part I): Problem Solving, Problem Finding, and Their Interaction in Design and Other Creative Practices
Crilly, N. (2021) · She ji · doi:10.1016/j.sheji.2021.07.003 · Cited by 51
On GANs, NLP and Architecture: Combining Human and Machine Intelligences for the Generation and Evaluation of Meaningful Designs
Huang, J., Johanes, M., Kim, F. C., Doumpioti, C., & Holz, G.-C. (2021) · Technology|Architecture + Design · doi:10.1080/24751448.2021.1967060 · Cited by 49
“Images have been used by architects as inspirations, metaphors, analogies, and justifications (Goldschmidt and Smolkov 2006; Purcell and Gero 1996).”
Method
The Cognitive Neuroscience of Design Creativity
Lazar, L. (2018) · Journal of Experimental Neuroscience · doi:10.1177/1179069518809664 · Cited by 47
Methodological diversity and theoretical integration: Research in design fixation as an example of fixation in research design?
Crilly, N. (2019) · Design Studies · doi:10.1016/j.destud.2019.10.006 · Cited by 43
Examining design fixation in engineering idea generation: the role of example modality
Viswanathan, V. K., & Linsey, J. (2013) · International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation · doi:10.1080/21650349.2013.774689 · Cited by 40
“Many researcher replicate this study under various conditions (Purcell & Gero, 1992; Purcell & Gero, 1996; Chrysikou & Weisberg, 2005), again using pictorial representations of examples.”
Influential
Using innovation contests to promote the development of generic technologies
Kokshagina, O., Gillier, T., Cogez, P., Masson, P. L., & Weil, B. (2016) · Technological Forecasting and Social Change · doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2016.07.035 · Cited by 39
Using creative exhaustion to foster idea generation
Gray, C. M., McKilligan, S., Daly, S. R., Seifert, C. M., & Gonzalez, R. (2017) · International Journal of Technology and Design Education · doi:10.1007/s10798-017-9435-y · Cited by 38
“As a result, designers may still prefer to generate solutions on their own (Purcell and Gero 1996) using their own ideation techniques, such as prior experiences, rather than seek assistance from such tools.”
Background
Design Fixation in the Wild: Design Environments and Their Influence on Fixation
Youmans, R. J. (2011) · The Journal of Creative Behavior · doi:10.1002/j.2162-6057.2011.tb01089.x · Cited by 39
IdeaVis
Geyer, F., Budzinski, J., & Reiterer, H. (2012) · Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1145/2399016.2399069 · Cited by 37
“Well documented inhibitors are: production blocking (ideas cannot be externalized rapidly), evaluation apprehension (fear of judgment), free riding or social loafing (relying on others to do the work) and fixation (keeping fixed on early ideas) [17,22].”
Background
Development of a tool for building shared representations among industrial designers and engineering designers
Pei, E., Campbell, I., & Evans, M. (2010) · CoDesign · doi:10.1080/15710882.2010.510197 · Cited by 37
“Such pattern coding has been similarly used by other researchers (Purcell and Gero 1996 ) in order to summarise findings into condensed categories.”
Method
The reality of design
Eckert, C. M., & Clarkson, P. J. (2005) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-84628-061-0_1 · Cited by 37
Conception of Design Principles for Additive Manufacturing
Valjak, F., & Bojčetić, N. (2019) · Proceedings of the ... International Conference on Engineering Design · doi:10.1017/dsi.2019.73 · Cited by 36
“At the same time, they can cause some negative effects manifested in design fixation that limits creative ideas, as the designers are trying to replicate existing solutions (Purcell and Gero, 1996).”
Background
The Structure of Design Revolutions: Kuhnian Paradigm Shifts in Creative Problem Solving
Crilly, N. (2009) · Design Issues · doi:10.1162/desi.2010.26.1.54 · Cited by 38
The Role of Personality and Team-based Product Dissection on Fixation Effects
Toh, C. A., Miller, S. R., & Kremer, G. E. O. (2013) · DigitalCommons@UNO · Cited by 35
Modeling a hybrid-compact design matrix for new product innovation
Ko, Y.-T. (2016) · Computers & Industrial Engineering · doi:10.1016/j.cie.2016.04.016 · Cited by 35
“However, the design problem representations that trigger the recall of these semi-abstract solution classes will include inappropriate assumptions, and designers may focus on recent or salient solution types even when they know they are inappropriate (Purcell and Gero, 1996).”
Background
Understanding How Designers Find and Use Data Visualization Examples
Bako, H. K., Liu, X., Battle, L., & Liu, Z. (2022) · IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics · doi:10.1109/tvcg.2022.3209490 · Cited by 34
“This phenomenon is known as “design fixation” [29, 46].”
Design Fixation: A Cloak of Many Colors
Youmans, R. J., & Arciszewski, T. (2014) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-017-9112-0_7 · Cited by 41
“Design instructors report that students often commit to the design ideas that they think of first [24], and unlike cases of artistic homage or other deliberate references to prior work, designers who experience design fixation may be unaware that they were copying prior examples, leading some researchers to label the…”
Background
Designing future products: what difficulties do designers encounter and how can their creative process be supported?
Bonnardel, N. (2012) · Work · doi:10.3233/wor-2012-0020-5296 · Cited by 34
“Experiments have been conducted with either professional designers, design students, or students with no design training whatsoever, such as psychology students (see, for instance, [20, 30, 39, 45].”
The Effect of Prototyping and Critical Feedback on Fixation in Engineering Design.
Kershaw, T. C., Hölttä‐Otto, K., & Lee, Y. (2011) · eScholarship (California Digital Library) · Cited by 34
Defining Design between Domains
Zimring, C., & Craig, D. L. (2001) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-008043868-9/50007-3 · Cited by 34
Design Fixation From Initial Examples: Provided Versus Self-Generated Ideas
Leahy, K., Daly, S. R., McKilligan, S., & Seifert, C. M. (2020) · Journal of Mechanical Design · doi:10.1115/1.4046446 · Cited by 33
“Later studies replicated fixation arising from provided examples, demonstrating their continued influence in subsequent concepts [27,45].”
Background
Estimating Environmental Behavior Without Performing a Life Cycle Assessment
Collado‐Ruiz, D., & Ostad‐Ahmad‐Ghorabi, H. (2012) · Journal of Industrial Ecology · doi:10.1111/j.1530-9290.2012.00510.x · Cited by 33
The effect of subliminal suggestions on Sudden Moments of Inspiration (SMI) in the design process
Chandrasekera, T., Vo, N., & D’souza, N. (2012) · Design Studies · doi:10.1016/j.destud.2012.09.002 · Cited by 33
Algorithms and inspirations: creative reuse of design experience
Eckert, C. M., Stacey, M., & Clarkson, P. J. (2000) · Cambridge University Engineering Department Publications Database · Cited by 33
METAPHORS IN THE DESIGN STUDIO: IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION
Casakin, H. (2004) · Cited by 33
Design Heuristics Support Two Modes of Idea Generation: Initiating Ideas and Transitioning Among Concepts
Christian, J., Daly, S. R., McKIlligan, S., Seifert, C. M., & Gonzalez, R. (2020) · ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition · doi:10.18260/1-2--21152 · Cited by 32
A Systematic Function Recommendation Process for Data-Driven Product and Service Design
Zhang, Z., Liu, L., Wei, W., Tao, F., Li, T., & Liu, A. (2017) · Journal of Mechanical Design · doi:10.1115/1.4037610 · Cited by 32
Enhancing Visual Thinking in a Toy Design Course Using Freehand Sketching
Taborda, E. A., Chandrasegaran, S. K., Kisselburgh, L. G., Reid, T., & Karthik Ramani, A. (2012) · doi:10.1115/detc2012-71454 · Cited by 32
“Inspiration from other courses on innovation and results from research on engineering education, design education and cognitive sciences was an important starting point [30, 39–41].”
Background
Understanding Analogical Reasoning in Biomimetic Design: An Inductive Approach
Cheong, H., Hallihan, G. M., & Shu, L. H. (2014) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-017-9112-0_2 · Cited by 32
“This tendency to develop solutions based on the familiar domain knowledge may be similar to Purcell and Gero’s [35] finding that mechanical engineers tend to fixate on using familiar principles to solve design problems.”
Background
Projeto simultâneo na construção de edifícios.
Fabrício, M. M. (2002) · doi:10.11606/t.3.2002.tde-22072026-091422 · Cited by 32
The Design Problem Framework: Using Adaption-Innovation Theory to Construct Design Problem Statements
Silk, E., Daly, S. R., Jablokow, K., Yılmaz, S., & Berg, M. (2020) · ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition · doi:10.18260/1-2--23127 · Cited by 31
“Novice designers are likely to make this mistake of generating only one idea,(10) but even more experienced designers may fixate on a particular idea without considering a wider range of alternatives.(11,12) Research on ideation suggests that an ideal approach includes at least some divergent thinking, in which the de…”
Background
Exposure Effects in Design Idea Generation: Unconscious Conformity or a Product of Sampling Probability?
Perttula, M. K., & Liikkanen, L. A. (2006) · Cited by 30
Design Creativity 2010
BECATTINI, N., CASCINI, G., BORGIANNI, Y., & ROTINI, F. (2010) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-0-85729-224-7 · Cited by 31
Towards constructive design feedback dialogues: guiding peer and client feedback to stimulate children’s creative thinking
Schut, A., Mechelen, M. V., Klapwijk, R., Gielen, M. A., & de Vries, M. J. (2020) · International Journal of Technology and Design Education · doi:10.1007/s10798-020-09612-y · Cited by 30
Cognitive Heuristic Use In Engineering Design Ideation
Daly, S. R., Yılmaz, S., Seifert, C. M., & Gonzalez, R. (2020) · ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition · doi:10.18260/1-2--16280 · Cited by 30
Using Evolved Analogies to Overcome Creative Design Fixation
Smith, S. M., Linsey, J., & Kerne, A. (2010) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-0-85729-224-7_6 · Cited by 29
“…something that blocks completion of different types of cognitive operations, including many processes and structures involved in memory, problem solving, and creative ideation (e.g., Chrysikou and Weisberg, 2005; Jansson and Smith, 1991; Purcell and Gero, 1996; Smith and Blankenship, 1989, 1991).”
A study on the effects of example familiarity and modality on design fixation
Viswanathan, V. K., Tomko, M., & Linsey, J. (2016) · Artificial intelligence for engineering design analysis and manufacturing · doi:10.1017/s0890060416000056 · Cited by 29
“Shortly thereafter, researchers expanded on Jansson and Smith’s work by demonstrating that due to differences in fixation between mechanical engineers and industrial designers, there are potentially different forms that fixation can take (Purcell & Gero, 1992, 1996).”
BackgroundResultInfluential
An Experimental Investigation Of The Innovation Capabilities Of Engineering Students
Genco, N., Hölttä‐Otto, K., & Seepersad, C. C. (2020) · ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition · doi:10.18260/1-2--16397 · Cited by 28
Novelty metrics in engineering design
Fiorineschi, L., & Rotini, F. (2021) · Journal of Engineering Design · doi:10.1080/09544828.2021.1928024 · Cited by 29
“Metrics proposed in the reviewed contributions The first metric appearing in chronological order (JAN in Table 1) is that of Jansson and Smith (1991), originally proposed and applied in a study about design fixation (Purcell and Gero 1996; Youmans and Arciszewski 2014a).”
Background
DDE-GAN: Integrating a Data-Driven Design Evaluator Into Generative Adversarial Networks for Desirable and Diverse Concept Generation
Yuan, C., Marion, T. J., & Moghaddam, M. (2022) · Journal of Mechanical Design · doi:10.1115/1.4056500 · Cited by 32
Ubiquitous Serendipity: Potential Visual Design Stimuli are Everywhere
Goldschmidt, G. (2014) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-017-9297-4_12 · Cited by 27
“over to their solution even when explicitly instructed not to do so [28] [29] [30] [31] [32].”
Background
Creativity and Cognition, Divergent Thinking, and Intelligence
Roberts, A. M., Sternberg, R. J., Runco, M. A., Acar, S., Ward, T. B., Kolomyts, Y., & Kaufman, J. C. (2021) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108776721.008 · Cited by 29
Sticky notes as a kind of design material: How sticky notes support design cognition and design collaboration
Ball, L. J., Christensen, B. T., & Halskov, K. (2021) · Design Studies · doi:10.1016/j.destud.2021.101034 · Cited by 27
Fostering Creativity in Product and Service Development: Validation in the Domain of Information Technology
Zeng, L., Proctor, R. W., & Salvendy, G. (2011) · Human Factors The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society · doi:10.1177/0018720811409219 · Cited by 27
How can neuroscience help understand design and craft activity? The promise of cognitive neuroscience in design studies
Seitamaa‐Hakkarainen, P., Huotilainen, M., Mäkelä, M., Groth, C., & Hakkarainen, K. (2016) · FormAkademisk - forskningstidsskrift for design og designdidaktikk · doi:10.7577/formakademisk.1478 · Cited by 27
An integrated approach for automated physical architecture generation and multi-criteria evaluation for complex product design
Chen, R., Liu, Y., Fan, H., Zhao, J., & Ye, X. (2019) · Journal of Engineering Design · doi:10.1080/09544828.2018.1563287 · Cited by 27
“The frequently used informal methods always lead to ‘fixation’ effects (Purcell and Gero 1996).”
Method
Uncovering early indicators of fixation during the concept development stage of children’s design processes
Schut, A., Klapwijk, R., Gielen, M. A., van Doorn, F., & de Vries, M. J. (2019) · International Journal of Technology and Design Education · doi:10.1007/s10798-019-09528-2 · Cited by 30
Metaphorical reasoning and design expertise: A perspective for design education
Casakin, H. (2011) · Journal of Learning Design · doi:10.5204/jld.v4i2.73 · Cited by 27
“Metaphorical reasoning is therefore proposed as an alternative to traditional design education methods – i.e., precedent based learning (e.g. Akin, 2002; Goldschmidt, 1998), transference of instructor design experience, or trial and error approach (Demirbas & Demirkan, 2003; Purcell & Gero, 1996).”
Method
Changing Perspective: Building Creative Mindsets
Chou, Y. J., & Tversky, B. (2020) · Cognitive Science · doi:10.1111/cogs.12820 · Cited by 27
“But starting with established ideas can often be counterproductive, leading to fixation (e.g., Chrysikou & Weisberg, 2005; Finke, Ward, & Smith, 1992; Jansson & Smith, 1991; Purcell & Gero, 1996; Smith, Ward, & Schumacher, 1993).”
Background
Usefulness of prototypes in conceptual design: students’ view
Carfagni, M., Fiorineschi, L., Furferi, R., Governi, L., & Rotini, F. (2020) · International Journal on Interactive Design and Manufacturing (IJIDeM) · doi:10.1007/s12008-020-00697-2 · Cited by 26
Idea evaluation as a design process: understanding how experts develop ideas and manage fixations
Boudier, J., Sukhov, A., Netz, J., Masson, P. L., & Weil, B. (2023) · Design Science · doi:10.1017/dsj.2023.7 · Cited by 26
“Fixation means that individuals rely on the same knowledge base to generate concepts, resulting in fixation on a limited set of concepts and inability to access a different knowledge base for associating new and different sets of concepts (Purcell & Gero 1996; Hatchuel et al. 2017).”
Exploring Over: The Presumed Identity of Emerging Technology
Gillier, T., & Piat, G. (2011) · Creativity and Innovation Management · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8691.2011.00614.x · Cited by 26
Overcoming Organizational Fixation: Creating and Sustaining an Innovation Culture
Stempfle, J. (2011) · The Journal of Creative Behavior · doi:10.1002/j.2162-6057.2011.tb01091.x · Cited by 26
Representing analogies to influence fixation and creativity: A study comparing computer-aided design, photographs, and sketches
Atilola, O., & Linsey, J. (2015) · Artificial intelligence for engineering design analysis and manufacturing · doi:10.1017/s0890060415000049 · Cited by 28
“Studies have shown that designers fixate to examples whether they are in the form of sketches, line drawings, photographs, or physical models (Purcell & Gero, 1996; Kiriyama & Yama-moto, 1998; Christensen & Schunn, 2005; Cardoso et al., 2009; Linsey et al., 2010; Cardoso & Badke-Schaub, 2011;…”
Background
Arts Education and the Learning Sciences
Halverson, E. R., & Sheridan, K. M. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9781139519526.037 · Cited by 26
Requirements Framing Affects Design Creativity
Mohanani, R., Turhan, B., & Ralph, P. (2019) · IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering · doi:10.1109/tse.2019.2909033 · Cited by 25
“ideas [64], established solutions [30], [34] and bogus requirements [15].”
Background
Using fMRI to deepen our understanding of design fixation
Fu, K. K., Sylcott, B., & Das, K. (2019) · Design Science · doi:10.1017/dsj.2019.21 · Cited by 26
“While this sort of fixation can be readily observed, there are several factors, such as the commonness of the example (Purcell et al. 1993) and the domain of the problem (Purcell & Gero 1996; Goldschmidt 2011), that aﬀect whether or not fixation will be present.”
BackgroundMethod
Suitability of genetic based exploration in the creative design process
von Buelow, P. (2008) · Digital Creativity · doi:10.1080/14626260701847522 · Cited by 24
“One of the greatest hindrances to thorough exploration is design ﬁxation (Purcell and Gero 1996; Gordon 1961).”
Background
Influences on Solution Search Processes in Design Organisations
Busby, J. A., & Lloyd, P. A. (1999) · Research in Engineering Design · doi:10.1007/s001630050012 · Cited by 24
“. Designers can be fixated on suggested or known solutions, even when the solutions are flawed in some way (Janssen and Smith, 1991) ‐ although it has to be said that subjects fixate only on certain elements of suggested solutions (Purcell and Gero, 1991), and there are differences between student and practitioner sub…”
Background
Design Fixation and Cooperative Learning in Elementary Engineering Design Project: A Case Study
Luo, Y. (2015) · lnternational Electronic Journal of Elementary Education · Cited by 24
A Study of Design Fixation Related to Additive Manufacturing
Abdelall, E. S., Frank, M. C., & Stone, R. (2018) · Journal of Mechanical Design · doi:10.1115/1.4039007 · Cited by 24
Relational Modes between Industrial Design and Engineering Design a Conceptual Model for Interdisciplinary Design Work
Persson, S., & Warell, A. (2003) · Lund University Publications (Lund University) · Cited by 24
The role of additive technologies in the prototyping issues of design
Carfagni, M., Fiorineschi, L., Furferi, R., Governi, L., & Rotini, F. (2018) · Rapid Prototyping Journal · doi:10.1108/rpj-02-2017-0021 · Cited by 24
Close encounters of the architectural kind
Heylighen, A., & Verstijnen, I. M. (2003) · Design Studies · doi:10.1016/s0142-694x(02)00040-6 · Cited by 24
Identifying Critical Functions for Use Across Engineering Design Domains
Lucero, B. M., Viswanathan, V. K., Linsey, J., & Turner, C. J. (2014) · Journal of Mechanical Design · doi:10.1115/1.4028280 · Cited by 23
Understanding physical models in design cognition: A triangulation of qualitative and laboratory studies
Viswanathan, V. K., & Linsey, J. (2011) · IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) · doi:10.1109/fie.2011.6142848 · Cited by 25
“Physical models are important collaborative learning tools in design practice and they reduce the overall project cost and risk [1].”
Background
Does Analogical Reasoning With Visual Clues Affect Novice and Experienced Design Students' Creativity?
Çubukçu, E., & Çetintahra, G. E. (2010) · Creativity Research Journal · doi:10.1080/10400419.2010.504656 · Cited by 23
“This is called design fixation (Jansson, & Smith, 1991 ; Purcell, & Gero, 1996 ; Smith et al, 1993 ).”
Are their designs iterative or fixated? Investigating design patterns from student digital footprints in computer-aided design software
Zhang, H., Xie, C., & Nourian, S. (2017) · International Journal of Technology and Design Education · doi:10.1007/s10798-017-9408-1 · Cited by 23
“This ﬁnding resonates with prior ﬁndings about ﬁxation effect when designers were exposed to examples (Jansson and Smith 1991; Purcell and Gero 1996; Chrysikou and Weisberg 2005; Viswanathan and Linsey 2010).”
Background
The Computer’s Role in Sketch Design: A Transparent Sketching Medium
Trinder, M. (1999) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-5047-1_15 · Cited by 23
Understanding Creativity Judgments of Invented Alien Creatures: The Roles of Invariants and Other Predictors*
Kozbelt, A., & Durmysheva, Y. (2007) · The Journal of Creative Behavior · doi:10.1002/j.2162-6057.2007.tb01072.x · Cited by 22
Expertise and designer burnout
Eckert, C. M., Stacey, M., & Wiley, J. (1999) · Cambridge University Engineering Department Publications Database · Cited by 22
Free association ability distinguishes highly creative artists from scientists: Findings from the Big-C Project.
Merseal, H. M., Luchini, S. A., Kenett, Y. N., Knudsen, K. S., Bilder, R. M., & Beaty, R. E. (2023) · Psychology of Aesthetics Creativity and the Arts · doi:10.1037/aca0000545 · Cited by 20
Investigating the role of spatial thinking in children’s design ideation through an open-ended design-by-analogy challenge
Zhu, C., Klapwijk, R., Silva-Ordaz, M., Spandaw, J., & de Vries, M. J. (2024) · International Journal of Technology and Design Education · doi:10.1007/s10798-024-09877-7 · Cited by 38
“…designers employ various techniques to stimulate divergent thinking, such as re-representing or reframing problems (Zahner et al., 2010), examining pictorial examples (Purcell & Gero, 1996), and using design-by-analogy (Fu et al., 2015; Hey et al., 2008; Linsey et al., 2012; Qian & Gero, 1996).”
Mitigating Design Fixation Effects in Engineering Design Through Product Dissection Activities
Toh, C. A., Miller, S. R., & Kremer, G. E. O. (2014) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-017-9112-0_6 · Cited by 21
“Furthermore, because design fixation occurs across different levels of expertise [5] and contexts [6], it is important to understand how different activities affect fixation during the design process.”
Background
The Obscure Features Hypothesis in design innovation
McCaffrey, T., & Krishnamurty, S. (2014) · International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation · doi:10.1080/21650349.2014.893840 · Cited by 21
“Next, we will present effective counter techniques to three well-known cognitive obstacles (i.e., design fixation: Jansson & Smith, 1991; Purcell & Gero, 1996; Smith, 1995; functional fixedness: Duncker, 1945; and analogy blindness: Gick & Holyoak, 1980, 1983) and two new cognitive obstacles that…”
Method
Whose ideas are most fixating, your own or other people's? The effect of idea agency on subsequent design behaviour
Neroni, M. A., & Crilly, N. (2018) · Design Studies · doi:10.1016/j.destud.2018.05.004 · Cited by 24
Overcoming Cognitive Challenges in Bioinspired Design and Analogy
Linsey, J., & Viswanathan, V. K. (2013) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4471-5248-4_9 · Cited by 21
Timing Matters: How Using LLMs at Different Timings Influences Writers' Perceptions and Ideation Outcomes in AI-Assisted Ideation
Qin, P., Yang, C.-L., Li, J., Wen, J., & Lee, Y. (2025) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3706598.3713146 · Cited by 43
“Our results showed that introducing LLM after participants’ independent ideation led to increased autonomy, greater ownership, and higher creative self-efficacy compared to those who used LLM at the beginning of the task (see Table 3).”
Empirical Studies of Design Thinking: Past, Present, Future
Cagan, J., Dinar, M., Shah, J. J., LEIFER, L. J., Linsey, J., Smith, S., & Vargas-Hernández, N. (2013) · ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (IDETC/CIE) · doi:10.1115/detc2013-13302 · Cited by 20
Teaching Design Ideation
Daly, S. R., Christian, J., Yılmaz, S., Seifert, C. M., & Gonzalez, R. (2020) · ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition · doi:10.18260/1-2--18507 · Cited by 20
Read the full patent or just the claims? Mitigating design fixation and design distraction when reviewing patent documents
Koh, E. C. Y. (2020) · Design Studies · doi:10.1016/j.destud.2020.02.001 · Cited by 20
Expertise and creativity in knitwear design
Eckert, C. M., Stacey, M., & Wiley, J. (2002) · Cited by 20
Describing the design space of mechanical computational design synthesis problems
Gadeyne, K., Pinte, G., & Berx, K. (2014) · Advanced Engineering Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.aei.2014.03.004 · Cited by 20
“This effect is sometimes called design fixation [10].”
Background
Constraining or Constructive? The Effects of Examples on Idea Novelty
George, T., Wiley, J., Koppel, R. H., & Storm, B. C. (2017) · The Journal of Creative Behavior · doi:10.1002/jocb.178 · Cited by 21
Creativity and Complex Problem Solving in the Social Context
Badke‐Schaub, P., & Buerschaper, C. (2001) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-015-9827-9_9 · Cited by 21
Signposting: An AI Approach to Supporting Human Decision Making in Design
Stacey, M., Clarkson, P. J., & Eckert, C. M. (2000) · ASME International Computers in Engineering Conference and Engineering Database Symposium · doi:10.1115/detc2000/cie-14617 · Cited by 20
“Indeed, designers’ thinking is channelled by their recollection of similar artefacts, even when they try to escape from their influence (Jansson and Smith, 1991; Purcell and Gero, 1996).”
Background
Challenging COVID-19 with Creativity: Supporting Design Space Exploration for Emergency Ventilators
Fiorineschi, L., Frillici, F. S., & Rotini, F. (2020) · Applied Sciences · doi:10.3390/app10144955 · Cited by 19
Does idea exchange promote productivity in design idea generation?
Perttula, M. K., Krause, C. M., & Sipilä, P. (2006) · CoDesign · doi:10.1080/15710880600797942 · Cited by 19
“For instance, in one of their studies a particular design caused fixating effects only to mechanical engineers, but not to industrial designers (Purcell and Gero 1996).”
BackgroundResult
Using Evolutionary Algorithms to Aid Designer of Architectural Structures
von Buelow, P. (2002) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-155860673-9/50050-1 · Cited by 19
Analogies in design decision-making
Hassard, S. T., BLANDFORD, A. E., & Cox, A. L. (2009) · doi:10.5555/1671011.1671027 · Cited by 18
Using design strategies from microfluidic device patents to support idea generation
Lee, J. W., Daly, S. R., Huang-Saad, A. Y., Seifert, C. M., & Lutz, J. (2018) · Microfluidics and Nanofluidics · doi:10.1007/s10404-018-2089-6 · Cited by 18
“Designers tend to fixate on their initial ideas and design specifications (Purcell and Gero 1996; Sio et al.”
Background

Authors: Purcell, A. T., & Gero, J. S.
Affiliations: The University of Sydney (AU)
ORCID: Gero, John S.
Venue: Design Studies
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 1996-10
Volume: 17
Issue: 4
Pages: 363-383
ISSN: 0142-694X (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/s0142-694x(96)00023-3
OpenAlex: W1976933533
Cited by: 552
References: 7
Citations by year: 2026: 20 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 51 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 42 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 44 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 26
FWCI: 4.97
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: Design Studies (publishedVersion)
Topics: Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Design Education and Practice
Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Creativity in Education and Neuroscience
Social Sciences › Education › Engineering Education and Pedagogy
Keywords: design fixation, functional fixedness, design problem solving, design process, design education, human problem solving

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