Motivation in Design as a Driving Force for Defining Motives of Design - Principia Designae: Pre-Design, Design, and Post-Design - page 82

However, the connections developed between motivation for creativity and
design motives are not free from controversy. Thus, a revolutionary design whose
initial conception is based mainly on the internal motivations of the designer, in a
post-design phase might be considered as creative but inadequate for the users'
needs. In contrast, a conventional design based mainly on external motivations with
a strong concern for actual requirements, in a post-design phase might be positively
assessed by the users for its value, although it would not be considered as highly
innovative. This paradox demonstrates that despite the substantial roles played by
motivation and motives of the designer in the pre- and post- design phases, more
research is needed to gain further insight into this topic.
6.6 Conclusions and Implications
This work is a first step in the study of motivation for creativity, and its relation to
design motives in different design disciplines. The Cognitive Orientation theory
was used to define motivation for design creativity. Similarities and differences
regarding motivational tendencies between architectural and engineering students
were analysed.
Regarding the contents, the CO theory suggests that motivation for creativity is a
complex and multifaceted concept. A measure of such complexity enables numer-
ous combinations of themes to define motivation for creativity in designers belong-
ing to different disciplines, and with different profiles. Consequently, a group of
designers may have the same level of creativity motivation, but may differ in the
structure and the themes of their motivation. Since motivation for creativity is a
necessary factor for activating and bringing to completion design motives, the
manner in which he motivational disposition is structured may have a direct effect
on how design motives are dealt with. The major implication of the study is that the
COQ-CR is a reliable tool that enables exploring, examining and understanding the
motivational disposition for creativity and henceforth considering it in any study or
project of design creativity.
The stated implications are highly relevant also for intervention programs of
education seeking to promote creativity in design domains such as architectural or
engineering, while at the same time considering personal and social motivations.
Using the CO theory, which is a theoretical framework for predicting and changing
behavioural manifestations, can contribute to promote individual motivations for
creativity in each specific design domain in a straightforward way. An advantage of
the CO theory over other cognitive-motivational approaches is that it enables to
identify the motivational profile of a designer, and introduce changes by means of a
standard procedure of intervention originated by the CO theory. Intervention pro-
grams relying on this approach could be applied by strengthening, or increasing the
number of internal or external beliefs and the related themes associated to a desired
behavioural manifestation (Kreitler and Kreitler 1990 ) . Using the CO approach can
endow design educators with a suitable tool for promoting motivation for design