Developing a framework for evaluating creativity in parametric design

Pioneering studies have demonstrated that parametric design generates creative variations. However, there has been a lack of formal understandings to evaluate creativity in parametric design. This research develops an evaluation framework for parametric design in the early design phase. The evaluation framework is derived from the critical analysis of design creativity models and design evaluation criteria. The framework includes the evaluation of creativity from design process to design outcome in the context of parametric design. This paper focuses on the conceptual evaluation framework, which comprises a coding scheme for the protocol analysis of the design process, and evaluation criteria for the expert panel assessment of the design outcome. The theoretically-based framework, including the coding scheme and the evaluation criteria, presents a crucial starting point to formally understand creativity in parametric design as well as a novel approach for evaluating this creativity. Future research will include empirical studies on practices that adopt parametric design, in order to refine and verify this framework.