Using an Immersive Virtual Reality Design Tool to Support Cognitive Action and Creativity: Educational Insights from Fashion Designers

Abstract

This study explores how a virtual reality (VR) design tool can enhance designers' cognitive action and creativity in the design process. Ten fashion designers participated in cognitive protocol research and in-depth interviews. Regarding the idea generation process's cognitive action, we limited the experiment to the sketch phase early in the design process and selected a 2D digital design tool for comparison. Expert reviews were also conducted to evaluate the creativity of design outcomes. As a result, we found that the immersive VR design tool activated physical and perceptual action in design cognition and enhanced flexible cognitive action amongst different cognitive action levels compared to the 2D digital design tool. Consequently, we found that the enhanced flexibility in the cognitive process in VR reinforced divergent design thinking in design concept generation and was connected with creative design outcomes.

Keywords:

• cognitive action
• creativity
• virtual reality
• design tool
• fashion design

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation.

Notes on contributors

Jee Hyun Lee

Jee Hyun Lee is a professor of Yonsei University and a leader of Fashion-Based Integrated Design Lab. Her research areas include the integrated design methodology in design education, a participatory design and a design cognition in the VR environment.

Eunkyoung Yang

Eunkyoung Yang is an adjunct professor of Yonsei University and a director of N Dimension Digital Fashion. Her research focuses on design methodology based on advanced digital technologies for design education and practice.

Zhong Yuan Sun

Zhong Yuan Sun is a doctoral candidate of design and a researcher of Fashion-Based Integrated Design Lab of Yonsei University. Her research areas include fashion design process and smart fashion, mainly focussing the traditional clothing culture adapted the high technology.