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Open Research Online The Open University’s repository of research publications and other research outputs Skills for Creativity in Graphic Design: Testing the relationship between visualisation, written comprehension, and graphic design creativity Thesis How to cite: Jeffries, Karl K. (2017). Skills for Creativity in Graphic Design: Testing the relationship between visualisation, written comprehension, and graphic design creativity. PhD thesis The Open University. For guidance on citations see FAQs. c 2016 The Author https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Version: [not recorded] Link(s) to article on publisher’s website: http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21954/ou.ro.0000c462 Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online’s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page. oro.open.ac.uk Open Research Online The Open University’s repository of research publications and other research outputs Skills for Creativity in Graphic Design: Testing the relationship between visualisation, written comprehension, and graphic design creativity Thesis How to cite: Jeffries, Karl K. (2017). Skills for Creativity in Graphic Design: Testing the relationship between visualisation, written comprehension, and graphic design creativity. PhD thesis The Open University. For guidance on citations see FAQs. c 2016 The Author https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Version: Version of Record Link(s) to article on publisher’s website: http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21954/ou.ro.0000c462 Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online’s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page. oro.open.ac.uk Skills for Creativity in Graphic Design: Testing the relationship between visualisation, written comprehension, and graphic design creativity A thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The Open University By Karl K. Jeffries MA, Manchester Metropolitan University BA (Hons) Glasgow School of Art Department of Engineering and Innovation Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics The Open University September, 2016 Abstract Abstract This thesis explores the relationship between skills, creativity and domain. It is situated within an evolving topic of design creativity; an emerging field that interfaces between creativity research, which has often occurred in the field of psychology, and design research often associated with the fields of engineering, art and design. Through five interconnected studies, and the domain of graphic design as the basis for experimentation, the research culminates in testing the relationship between creative output and skills considered important for competent performance in graphic design. How to assess graphic design creativity in a manner credible to both the creativity research and design research community has been a core challenge for this thesis. The method selected - the Consensual Assessment Technique (CAT) - before this thesis had yet to be used as a reliable measure of graphic design creativity in experimental research. For this reason, three of the studies were directed at establishing the reliability of the CAT. One undertook the first systematic literature review of the CAT in design research; a second tested the assumption that a graphic design CAT would show acceptable levels of inter-rater reliability (as researchers had found in other domains of design); a third focused on optimising the CAT to measure graphic design creativity. Additionally, given the wide range of graphic design competencies available, a conceptual framework was developed to prioritise those most important, and suitable, for experimental study. Two were identified (mental visualisation, and written comprehension) and each was tested for its relationship to graphic design creativity. Where other researchers have suggested or found a relationship, in this study, no significant correlations could be evidenced for either mental visualisation or written comprehension with creative output. Such a finding is likely counter-intuitive to many in art and design, thus, the implications of this study impact upon debates within design creativity research, design education, and graduate skill gaps for the Creative Industries. Skills for Creativity in Graphic Design 1 Contents Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Contents .............................................................................................................................................. 2 List of Figures ...................................................................................................................................... 8 List of Tables ....................................................................................................................................... 9 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................. 11 Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 12 1.1 The Theoretical Context of this Research ............................................................................... 13 1.2 The Educational Context of this Research.............................................................................. 15 1.2.1 Higher Education for the Creative Industries ................................................................... 17 1.3 The Economic Context of this Research ................................................................................. 21 1.4 Outline of Thesis Structure and Chapters ............................................................................... 24 Chapter 2: Definitions and Relationships Between Domain, Skills and Creativity ............................ 27 2.1 Introduction to Chapter 2......................................................................................................... 27 2.2 Defining Domain ...................................................................................................................... 28 2.2.1 Definitions of Domain ....................................................................................................... 29 2.2.2 Domains of Mind .............................................................................................................. 29 2.2.3 Occupational Roles .......................................................................................................... 29 2.2.4 Microdomains ................................................................................................................... 30 2.2.5 Which Definition to Use? .................................................................................................. 30 2.2.6 Related Occupations ........................................................................................................ 30 2.2.7 Single Occupations .......................................................................................................... 31 2.2.8 Domain Identity of Participants: Designer or Artist .......................................................... 31 2.2.9 Definition of Domain in this Study .................................................................................... 32 2.3 Defining Skills .......................................................................................................................... 34 2.3.1 Conflated Usage .............................................................................................................. 34 2.3.2 Talent and Giftedness ...................................................................................................... 36 2.3.3 Expertise .......................................................................................................................... 36 2.3.4 Competency ..................................................................................................................... 37 2.3.5 Abilities ............................................................................................................................. 37 2.3.6 Skills ................................................................................................................................. 38 2.3.7 Tasks ................................................................................................................................ 38 2.3.8 Knowledge ....................................................................................................................... 39 2.3.9 Definition of Skills in this Study ........................................................................................ 40 2.4 Define Creativity ...................................................................................................................... 42 2.4.1 Eastern and Western Definition of Creativity ................................................................... 42 2.4.2 The 4 P's of Creativity Research: Product, Process, Person and Press ......................... 43 Skills for Creativity in Graphic Design 2 Contents 2.4.3 Historical and Personal Creativity ...................................................................................