TITLE:
Fixation in Visual Communication: Ideational Issues
AUTHORS:
Bismark Sabeng Amoateng, Anita Akwa Toffah, Richard Selase Gbadegbe, Joseph Amewu, Ansah-Asiedu Junior
KEYWORDS:
Design Fixation, Communication, Ideation, Activity Model, Fixated
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.10 No.12,
November
3,
2022
ABSTRACT: World development has fostered the effectiveness of utilizing visuals in
print and electronic media communication. The visuals for communication are
crafted through the ideation process to the final execution of the project. In
completing a design project, ideation must be successfully carried out. But
sometimes, there are instances where the process is hindered since designers
may want to settle for comfort zones and thus become fixated on ideas. This
study therefore aims at exploring the challenges associated with design
fixation in ideation in the local setting and how to mitigate them. Using
interviews and observation in a qualitative inquiry, the researchers examined
the phenomenon under study with the aid of the Ideation Activity Model as a
theoretical lens. The study revealed an insightful relationship between
designers, tools (manual and digital), design process, ideation techniques,
client, design team, and the outcome of a designer’s activity during ideation.
Four major themes that affect design fixation were discovered: the Designer’s
background, Digital Ideation, Client and Designer tensions, and Fixation type.