The Influences of Computer on Idea Formation in Design

In fulfilling class assignments, there are many factors that influence the students\' ideation process. Along the way, their designs are subject to an iterative process that acts to select and eliminate their designs. In using the computer to actualize their ideas, students translate their concepts, which are first interpreted in sketching with pencil and paper. When using a computer, they combine the sophistication of visual and manipulative capabilities to take their ideas to a different level. The computer plays a formative role in graphic design students\' repertoire especially when it can affect the outcome of their final designs. What is discovered is that the students made unintentional discoveries when using the computer, which in turn evoke new responses and stimulate new thinking. It is more than a tool because it helps to make their minds work and it may therefore enhance their creativity. The phenomenon which emerges from this study alludes to the fact that computer technology inspires and develops new applications in its users. It is concluded in the study that the computer, as the right toolkit, is the means for augmenting human problem-solving.