IDEA DEVELOPMENT CAN OCCUR USING IMAGERY ONLY

Abstract: This paper shows that expert architects can effectively develop ideas without sketching during early conceptual designing. We analysed design protocols of six expert architects working on two different design problems under two different conditions, one in which they were blindfolded and one in which they were sketching. Architects developed design ideas efficiently when they were blindfolded, as opposed to the common view that they would better develop ideas with sketching. 2 Use of mental imagery is a key process in problem solving, creativity, artistic output, and many other types of human activity and interaction. What makes its use crucial is that it is an internal and fundamental mental activity that is consciously or subconsciously used during the creative process. Internal processes (such as perception, interpretation, imagination and recall) are used interactively with what occurs “outside ” the mind (such as bodily movement, modelling and sketching). Internal representations refer t