| Good user interface design is a problem solving process, where the goal is to produce a design that addresses the user's needs. This process involves generating and iterating solutions. Although idea generation, also known as brainstorming, is a key element to good design, it is unclear how to conduct effective brainstorming sessions. Theoretically, individuals who work together should produce creative and successful solutions. In practice, individuals who work independently produce more ideas or, on average, better ideas than individuals who work together. This study investigated brainstorming in two sessions and in three conditions. In two conditions, participants worked individually in one session and as a group in the other, in a counterbalanced manner. In the third condition, participants worked individually in both sessions. The results indicated that creativity is impaired when individuals brainstorm together in the second session compared to brainstorming together in the first session or brainstorming independently. |
