1. THE INFLUENCE of SKETCH
QUALITY on PERCEPTION of
PRODUCT-IDEA CREATIVITY
Barry Kudrowitz, phd
University of Minnesota
Paula Te
MIT
Siegel+Gale
David Wallace, phd
MIT
1

2. Draw this...
2

3. Horizontal Toaster
A horizontal toaster such that the
bread is inserted and comes out
horizontal to the ground.
Draw this...
2

4. vs.
Summary
in a nut shell
these sketches represent the same idea
3

5. vs.
Summary
in a nut shell
these sketches represent the same idea
not so creative rating
3

6. vs.
Summary
in a nut shell
these sketches represent the same idea
not so creative rating very creative rating
3

7. doodles thinking presentation emotiveidsketching
.com
Sketch Taxonomy
4

8. doodles thinking presentation emotiveidsketching
.com
explorative explanative persuasive
Olofsson
and Sjolen
thinking prescriptive talkingFerguson
level 2 level 3 level 4 level 5McGown
and Green
Sketch Taxonomy
4

9. doodles thinking presentation emotiveidsketching
.com
explorative explanative persuasive
Olofsson
and Sjolen
thinking prescriptive talkingFerguson
level 2 level 3 level 4 level 5McGown
and Green
Ideas from Brainstorming Sessions
Sketch Taxonomy
4

10. doodles thinking presentation emotiveidsketching
.com
explorative explanative persuasive
Olofsson
and Sjolen
thinking prescriptive talkingFerguson
level 2 level 3 level 4 level 5McGown
and Green
more refined, detailed, and focused
Ideas from Brainstorming Sessions
Sketch Taxonomy
4

11. Sketching in idea generation
Schutze et al, 2003; van der Lugt, 2005; Goldschmidt, 1991; Ullman et al, 1990
generating evolving communicating
dialectics of sketching - Goldschmidt
5

12. Sketching in idea generation
Schutze et al, 2003; van der Lugt, 2005; Goldschmidt, 1991; Ullman et al, 1990
generating evolving communicating
dialectics of sketching - Goldschmidt
does the visual presentation of the idea affect its perceived creativity?
5

13. positive correlations between sketching ability and artistic creativity
Chan and Zhao, 2010; Chan and Chan, 2007
positive correlation between the number of sketches made during a design
process and product prototype outcome
Yang and Cham, 2007; Song and Agogino, 2004; Schutze et al, 2003
prototype attractiveness was highly correlated with ratings of creativity
Christiaans, 2002
the category of affect, which included attractiveness, was found to be the
strongest indicator of willingness to purchase
Horn and Salvendy, 2009
When evaluating art it was found that originality was an important factor in
determining aesthetic quality
Hekkert and Wieringen, 1996
Prior studies
of sketching/aesthetics and creativity
* these are not the exact
artifacts from these studies
*
*
*
6

14. Prior studies
sketch clarity vs. perceived creativity
0
1.75
3.5
5.25
7
clarity creativity
kudrowitz and wallace 2010
7

15. HOW WE STUDIED
SKETCHING & CREATIVITY
8

16. Evaluating toaster ideas
four toaster ideas
9

17. Evaluating toaster ideas
four toaster ideas
9

18. Evaluating toaster ideas
four toaster ideas
varied quality of
sketches
9

19. Evaluating toaster ideas
four toaster ideas
varied quality of
sketches
rank ideas from least
creative to most
creative
9

20. Sketch quality
10

21. correctness of PERSPECTIVE
Sketch quality
10

22. correctness of PERSPECTIVE
realism of PROPORTIONS
Sketch quality
10

23. correctness of PERSPECTIVE
realism of PROPORTIONS LINE WORK execution
Sketch quality
10

24. increasing quality of sketch
line work, perspective, and proportions
Sketch quality
of a horizontal toaster concept
11

25. Evaluating Creativity
12

26. Evaluating Creativity
A product idea is creative if a group
of independent reviewers subjectively
agree it is creative.
Amabile’s Consensual Definition of Creativity (1982)
12

27. Evaluating Creativity
A product idea is creative if a group
of independent reviewers subjectively
agree it is creative.
Amabile’s Consensual Definition of Creativity (1982)
Anyone can be an appropriate judge of creativity
when dealing with common objects.
Amabile (1982)
12

28. 1. Doodle Toaster
A toaster with a side panel that you can draw on;
the drawing can then be toasted on to the bread.
2. Toaster/Coffee Maker
A combination toaster/coffee maker.
3. Horizontal Toaster
A horizontal toaster such that the bread is
inserted and comes out horizontal to the ground.
4. Crumb Tray Toaster
A toaster that has a removable crumb tray at the
bottom.
Selecting toaster concepts
13

29. 1. Doodle Toaster
A toaster with a side panel that you can draw on;
the drawing can then be toasted on to the bread.
2. Toaster/Coffee Maker
A combination toaster/coffee maker.
3. Horizontal Toaster
A horizontal toaster such that the bread is
inserted and comes out horizontal to the ground.
4. Crumb Tray Toaster
A toaster that has a removable crumb tray at the
bottom.
Selecting toaster concepts
13

30. 1. Doodle Toaster
A toaster with a side panel that you can draw on;
the drawing can then be toasted on to the bread.
2. Toaster/Coffee Maker
A combination toaster/coffee maker.
3. Horizontal Toaster
A horizontal toaster such that the bread is
inserted and comes out horizontal to the ground.
4. Crumb Tray Toaster
A toaster that has a removable crumb tray at the
bottom.
most creative idea
least creative idea
Selecting toaster concepts
13

31. Creating toaster concepts
14

32. Creating toaster concepts
middle school students
no sketching training
14

33. Creating toaster concepts
engineering students
limited sketching training
14

34. Creating toaster concepts
engineering graduate
student
some sketching experience
14

35. Creating toaster concepts
industrial designer
years of sketching training &
experience
14

36. Creating toaster concepts
14

37. Mechanical Turk is at least as representative of the U.S. Population as
traditional subject pools. There is no difference in the magnitude of
effects obtained using traditional methods and Mechanical Turk.
(Paolacci et al 2010)
Mechanical Turk
mturk.com
Evaluating Creativity
15

38. Mechanical Turk is at least as representative of the U.S. Population as
traditional subject pools. There is no difference in the magnitude of
effects obtained using traditional methods and Mechanical Turk.
(Paolacci et al 2010)
Mechanical Turk
mturk.com
Evaluating Creativity
15

39. Mechanical Turk is at least as representative of the U.S. Population as
traditional subject pools. There is no difference in the magnitude of
effects obtained using traditional methods and Mechanical Turk.
(Paolacci et al 2010)
Mechanical Turk
mturk.com
Evaluating Creativity
$0.10 per reviewer
15

40. Evaluating toaster ideas
four toaster ideas
rank ideas from least
creative to most
creative
16

41. Evaluating toaster ideas
four toaster ideas
rank ideas from least
creative to most
creative
16

42. Evaluating toaster ideas
four toaster ideas
varied quality of
sketches
rank ideas from least
creative to most
creative
16

43. WHAT WE FOUND ABOUT
SKETCHING & CREATIVITY
17

44. sketch quality had a high correlation with the perceived creativity of the idea
Results
18

45. sketch quality had a high correlation with the perceived creativity of the idea
Results
more creative
18

46. sketch quality had a high correlation with the perceived creativity of the idea
Results
R² = 0.8934
more creative
18

47. sketch quality had a high correlation with the perceived creativity of the idea
Results
vs.
High quality sketches were 2.6 times more likely to be ranked
as the most creative idea compared to the same idea drawn with
lower quality.
R² = 0.8934
more creative
18

48. 19

49. higher sketch quality
High
Quality
Sketch
(Industrial
Designer)
Quality
Sketch
Low
Quality
Sketch
Very
Low
Quality
(no
sketching
training) 19

50. higher sketch quality
High
Quality
Sketch
(Industrial
Designer)
Quality
Sketch
Low
Quality
Sketch
Very
Low
Quality
(no
sketching
training) 19

51. more creative
higher sketch quality
High
Quality
Sketch
(Industrial
Designer)
Quality
Sketch
Low
Quality
Sketch
Very
Low
Quality
(no
sketching
training)
Normalized
Average
ranking
of
creativity
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
19

52. more creative
higher sketch quality
High
Quality
Sketch
(Industrial
Designer)
Quality
Sketch
Low
Quality
Sketch
Very
Low
Quality
(no
sketching
training)
Normalized
Average
ranking
of
creativity
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
1 2 3 4
19

53. Results
only moderate correlation between the perceived creativity of
written and sketched ideas
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Perceived Average Creativity of Written Description
Combination Toaster/
Coffee Maker
Doodle Toaster
Crumb Tray Toaster
Horizontal Toaster
20

54. Results
only moderate correlation between the perceived creativity of
written and sketched ideas
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Perceived Average Creativity of Written Description
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Perceived Average Creativity of Sketched Idea
Doodle Toaster
Combination Toaster/
Coffee Maker Horizontal Toaster
Crumb Tray Toaster
Combination Toaster/
Coffee Maker
Doodle Toaster
Crumb Tray Toaster
Horizontal Toaster
20

55. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
21

56. Sketching vs. writing
interpretation of “creativity” differs across
different media
Horizontal Toaster
A horizontal toaster such that the
bread is inserted and comes out
horizontal to the ground.
vs.
(more creative in writing)
22

57. Sketching vs. writing
interpretation of “creativity” differs across
different media
Horizontal Toaster
A horizontal toaster such that the
bread is inserted and comes out
horizontal to the ground.
vs.
(more creative in writing)
Toaster/Coffee Maker
A combination toaster/coffee
maker.
vs.
(more creative in sketch)
22

58. Sketch quality can overpower
idea quality
23

59. Sketch quality can overpower
idea quality
creativity is influenced by
accurate proportions,
accurate perspective,
and proper line quality
23

60. Sketch quality in presentation
display ideas in a similar quality and style
24

61. Sketching in curricula
“drawing should be explicitly recognized alongside
writing, reading, and talking as a key element in science
education” -Ainsworth, Prain, and Tytler in Science
for designers, engineers, and innovators
25

62. level of detail or refinement (sketch vs. cad vs. prototype)
written vs. sketched
textual creativity
Future Work
26

63. high
quality
low
quality
level of detail or refinement (sketch vs. cad vs. prototype)
written vs. sketched
textual creativity
Future Work
26

64. high
quality
low
quality
level of detail or refinement (sketch vs. cad vs. prototype)
written vs. sketched
textual creativity
Future Work
detailed or refined
gestural or unrefined
26

65. level of detail or refinement (sketch vs. cad vs. prototype)
written vs. sketched
textual creativity
Future Work
26

66. Future Work
level of detail (sketch vs. cad vs. prototype)
written vs. sketched
textual creativity
27

67. THANK YOU
barry kudrowitz
barryk@umn.edu
wonderbarry.com
@kudrowitz
paula te
pte@siegelgale.com
itspaulate.tumblr.com
@itspaulate
28