EEG-based study of the human brain when performing open creative vs. constrained tasks

Creativity has been recognized as an essential skill for changing the design space from constrained to open spaces. We analyzed the brain activity of designers while performing constrained and open design tasks. This study investigates the neurophysiological activations of professional mechanical engineers and industrial designers in two prototypical design tasks, a problem-solving constrained layout task and an open design sketching task. The analysis focused on comparing the neurophysiological activations of the cognitive demand in three stages of categorical similarity of designing in constrained and open design spaces. Results indicate significant differences of frequency bands activations between stages of the design spaces across and between domains.