Mar 20, 2009
Created in collaboration with Jack Chung, Shelley Evenson, and Paul Pangaro.
The creative process is not just iterative; it’s also recursive. It plays out “in the large” and “in the small”—in defining the broadest goals and concepts and refining the smallest details. It branches like a tree, and each choice has ramifications, which may not be known in advance. Recursion also suggests a procedure that “calls” or includes itself. Many engineers define the design process as a recursive function:
discover > define > design > develop > deploy
The creative process involves many conversations—about goals and actions to achieve them—conversations with co-creators and colleagues, conversations with oneself. The participants and their language, experience, and values affect the conversations.
See also our How do you design? collection of models.
16 Comments
Michael Anton Dila
Mar 31, 2009
9:42 am
Yowza!
Josh of Cubicle Ninjas
Mar 31, 2009
7:30 pm
These are stunning. Thank you for the inspiration!
jimkastkeat
Apr 1, 2009
3:18 am
I recently drafted a similar process (collect ideas, sort helpful/unhelpful, group ideas, connect the dots, bring it to life).
This seems to say the same thing, only the layout is much more helpful than my quick note in my moleskine!
Thanks so much!
Graham Smith
Apr 1, 2009
6:50 am
I can’t fully see this on my iPhone but totally get the gist of it and can make out the overall structure.
Looks neat, will download PDF when I get home.
Graham
chris
Apr 11, 2009
5:34 pm
just come for a check up to see if there are an new ones, loved the innovation and behold, there is creativity. quite relevant to a graphic designer will have to remember march time a new one due.
very good, thanks. lovely circles to resound with design and the creative process in a loop. great stuff.
Rick Barron
May 26, 2009
1:28 pm
Your concepts maps have always been remarkable and informative. Well done on this one! Give my regards to Paul Pangaro.
Rick Barron
justin chitakatira
Jun 1, 2009
1:47 am
Very helpfuland inpirational.
aaron
Jun 4, 2009
7:11 am
Great job, thanks for the pdf. Going to try to put this up in the office.
Gordon Mattey
Jun 12, 2009
11:40 am
you should put this into prezi (prezi.com), it would work really well.
Carlos Guarda
Jun 24, 2009
8:36 pm
Wow!
Mike
Aug 11, 2009
1:38 pm
Great work! Are you guys OK with printing these posters for use in our offices?
jax
Aug 13, 2009
6:56 am
Love it…thanks! Love the schematic and insights…
Qin
Oct 22, 2009
10:06 am
that was so impressive! and very inspiring as well, I was actually looking for a nice form to articulate a more distributted pattern of creative process, and Bang~ here I go
Kelli
Dec 28, 2009
3:16 pm
Hanging this up at my desk as we speak.
John Merritt
Feb 15, 2010
2:27 pm
Incredible Map!
xplorer
Mar 13, 2010
1:53 pm
Absolutely stunning! Love the design, love the concept, love the layout!
What tool did you use to draw them? Illustrator?