The relationship between student design cognition types and creative design outcomes

•This paper proposes a scale for measuring design cognition types.•The reliability and validity of design cognition type scale are examined.•Solution-driven design can considerably predict creativity.•Senior college students exhibit knowledge-driven design cognition.•Freshman college students exhibit information-driven design cognition.

In this study, the creativity of design students in relation to design cognition types was examined. Measurement items based on the 4 design cognition types identified in previous literature, problem-driven, information-driven, solution-driven, and knowledge-driven design, were developed for this investigation. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to evaluate the results of a survey of 215 design students; the analysis results indicate that the design cognition type scale demonstrated strong internal reliability and discriminant validity to measure design cognition types. Among the 4 design cognition types, only solution-driven design can significantly predict creativity outcomes. Students at lower grade levels exhibited a greater tendency toward information-driven design compared with students at the senior grade level. Additional results are discussed in this paper.