I’m Not the Creative Type: Barriers to Student Creativity within Engineering Innovation Projects

Conceptual and technical creativity during design are critical skills for engineering graduates. Current research, however, suggests that students experience design fixation and do not place high value on creativity. In this study we explored engineering students’ creativity and perceptions of their creative ability. Twenty seniors in nine different engineering majors participated in two think-aloud protocols, one to document their process for developing an innovative solution and one to generate innovative ideas to an open-ended design problem. Each of these phases was followed by a semi-structured interview. Students also completed a final semi-structured interview to describe their experiences on innovation projects and views of innovation. The data sources were audiovisual recordings, written work, and sketches and writing captured with smart pens. Our analysis resulted in three key findings. First, students often did not see themselves as creative. Second, they avoided creative solutions that were not immediately feasible. Third, they limited themselves to familiar tasks that aligned with their academic discipline. Interview responses indicated that these behaviors represented responses to constrained project and educational environments as well as technical and feasibility orientations developed in school. We conclude with recommendations for engineering design education practice.