A comparison of creativity and innovation metrics and sample validation through in-class design projects

This paper introduces a new perspective/direction on assessing and encouraging creativity in concept design for application in engineering design education and industry. This research presents several methods used to assess the creativity of similar student designs using metrics and judges to determine which product is considered the most creative. Two methods are proposed for creativity concept evaluation during early design, namely the Comparative Creativity Assessment (CCA) and the Multi-Point Creativity Assessment (MPCA) methods. A critical survey is provided along with a comparison of prominent creativity assessment methods for personalities, products, and the design process. These comparisons culminate in the motivation for new methodologies in creative product evaluation to address certain shortcomings in current methods. The paper details the creation of the two creativity assessment methods followed by an application of the CCA and MPCA to two case studies drawn from engineering design classes.