A Development Model of User Creativity Platform

Abstract

As the generation changes, the wide variety of information available has sparked a lot of creativities in the new generation of users. The users expect to modify or successively design the products after purchase according to their own creative needs. “User creativity orientation” becomes a focus in new product development. Products which facilitate user’s creativity can be viewed as a creativity platform. The development of software in this aspect has been going on for years, while the research and relevant discourses on physical products are still lacking. This study proposes a development model of User Creativity Platform (UCP) for physical products, which includes eight steps: (1) User creativity needs exploration, (2) Functionality classification, (3) Primary and secondary components development, (4) Creativity-friendly interface design, (5) Design prototyping, (6) Creativity potential confirmation, (7) Intellectual property protection, and (8) Implementation. According to the proposed model, a set of the storage furniture has been developed and successfully granted invention patent. The model opens up a new dimension for designers to develop a user-friendly interface for user creation, rather than merely for user assembly. The feasibility of the model was also validated on the flexible furniture and toy design for pre-school kids.