Creativity in design: the contribution of information technology

Efforts to improve the design process in new product development often take the form of new information technologies, and they have had varying degrees of success. This paper considers the modern technologies of design and their impact on creativity. The analysis considers such design issues as problem structure, engineering knowledge, expert systems, ideation and the social context of technologies that affect their adoption and use. There exists a general bias toward the goals of effective coordination over enhanced creativity in the systems supporting design. Suggestions for research and practice are discussed.