Embodied Interaction Facilitates Creative Thinking in Conceptual and Optimization Design Tasks: An Empirical Study in 3D Computer-Aided Design Systems

Embodied interaction, enabled by multimodal technology, closely integrates designers’ cognitive processes with physical experience, potentially influencing creative thinking during the design process. This study examines cognitive differences in 34 designers performing two types of tasks: conceptual design and optimization design, using traditional interaction with keyboard and mouse and embodied interaction with gesture and eye-tracking. We collected and analyzed data from electroencephalography, creativity assessment, and retrospective verbal reports. It was found that in both design tasks, designers showed higher event-related desynchronization of upper and lower alpha and higher creativity scores for their design solutions in embodied interaction compared to traditional interaction. It is indicated that embodied interaction facilitates creative thinking. The results also show that embodied interaction more effectively stimulates creative thinking during the conceptual design task compared to the optimization design task. This study provides the theoretical support for the development of future design tools that support creative thinking stimulation.