A Systematic Literature Review of Novice Visual Representations of Design Ideas: A Three-Pronged Design Sketching Framework
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to systematically investigate how novice visual representation of design ideas has been operationalized, measured, or assessed in the research literature. In the different screening phases in this systematic review, inclusion, exclusion, and quality criteria were applied. From an initial sample of 958 articles, 40 studies were included in the final step of the coding process and qualitative synthesis. Applying provisional and open coding, three broad themes and 23 characteristics were identified that researchers used to conceptualize sketching of ideas in novice design activities: Communicating Ideas, Visual-Spatial Characteristics, and Design Creativity. We propose this Three-pronged Design Sketching (3-pDS) framework to examine and better understand novice design sketches, that is, K–16.
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A review of design sketching assessment proposes the 3pDS Framework, but calls for reliability testing beyond novice cohorts.
“A review of design sketching assessment proposes the Three Pronged Design Sketching (3 pDS) Framework integrating communication, visual spatial characteristics, and creativity, but calls for reliability testing beyond novice cohorts and across artefact genres (Ghahremani et al. 2024).”
From A Study on the Role of Midjourney, A Generative Artificial Intelligence Tool, in Enhancing Student Creativity in Illustration Design Classes (2026) · cites this paper as Ghahremani et al. 2024
Design-sketching assessment work treats representational diversity and iteration as important evidence of creative development.
“This interpretation is consistent with design-sketching assessment work that treats representational diversity and iteration as important evidence of creative development (Ghahremani et al. 2024).”
From A Study on the Role of Midjourney, A Generative Artificial Intelligence Tool, in Enhancing Student Creativity in Illustration Design Classes (2026) · cites this paper as Ghahremani et al. 2024
Creativity in design sketching is best captured through quantifying fluency and representational diversity across iterations.
“A systematic review argued that creativity in design sketching is best captured through quantifying fluency and representational diversity across iterations, which aligns with the study's use of counted concept directions as a process metric that covaries with creative quality (Ghahremani et al. 2024).”
From A Study on the Role of Midjourney, A Generative Artificial Intelligence Tool, in Enhancing Student Creativity in Illustration Design Classes (2026) · cites this paper as Ghahremani et al. 2024
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Ayu, S. N., Sari, A. A., & Manaasika, Z. (2025) · Sakaguru. · doi:10.70211/sakaguru.v2i1.206 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Ghahremani, M., Pereira, N., Ozen, Z., & Gentry, M.
- Corresponding author
- Ghahremani, Mehdi
- Venue
- Roeper Review
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2024-06-17
- Volume
- 46
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 202-216
- ISSN
- 0278-3193 (ISSN-L)
- 1940-865X
- OpenAlex
- W4399725417
- Cited by
- 2
- References
- 89
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1
- FWCI
- 0.05
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Roeper Review (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 › Arts and Humanities › Visual Arts and Performing Arts › Art Education and Development
- Keywords
- design sketching, novice designers, design creativity, design thinking
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