Constraining an open-ended design task by interpreting sources of inspiration

In the field of design, the challenge in the ideation process is determining how to balance between constraining a task and at the same time creating new paths for expression. The focus of this article is on students’ idea generation process during the module of their textile design learning in a higher-education programme. In the module, students completed an open-ended design assignment. The assignment encouraged reflective insights about individual and shared practices and emphasized material experimentation during the ideation process. The data were drawn from interviews, essays, diaries and observations of real-time processes. This article reports students’ ways of interpreting sources of inspiration, related constraining processes and students’ reflections.