Explanation and Prioritization of the Components and Criteria Influencing the Formation of Active Ideation in the Architectural Design Process

Abstract

Aims: Initial ideas are thoughts and perceptions that assist the designer in thinking. The significant role of ideas—as an integrated whole around which secondary considerations are organized, and as an initiating and developmental driver of the design process—has drawn scholarly attention to the components influencing their formation and recognition within the field of design research. In relation to the formation of ideas, based on design models and methods, an influential approach known as the active ideation method has been proposed. According to this approach, ideas are derived not from induction and analysis of information, but from the designer’s mental structures and patterns concerning the design problem. Although various theories addressing active ideation have been proposed across different theoretical periods and share many commonalities, no comprehensive model has yet been developed to explain how active ideation is achieved. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to identify, screen, and prioritize the components and criteria influencing the formation of active idea generation, and to propose a conceptual model grounded in research evidence and expert judgment.

Methodology: In terms of purpose, the research method is applied, and in terms of approach, it is mixed. Data collection in the qualitative part was conducted through the meta-synthesis method, and in the quantitative part, through the Fuzzy Delphi technique and SIWEC weighting. In the qualitative section, in order to identify the components and criteria affecting active idea generation, systematic searching was carried out in databases, and using the meta-synthesis approach based on the seven-step method of Barroso and Sandelowski, 61 research articles were confirmed. For analysis and coding, the thematic analysis method and MAXQDA 2024 software were used. After confirming the reliability of the qualitative findings, in the quantitative section and in accordance with the Fuzzy Delphi technique, each of the components and influencing criteria was screened and validated by consulting 12 experts in the field and obtaining their opinions. Finally, to weight and prioritize the Fuzzy Delphi findings, the SIWEC technique was used.

Findings: Based on the research findings, 9 main dimensions, 35 components, and 178 criteria influencing active ideation in the architectural design process were identified, and agreement was reached among the experts using the Delphi method and a threshold value of 0.7. The findings of the study indicate that the dimension of “designer’s mental and perceptual structure” with a weight of 0.12613, the dimension of “utilization of selective attention” with a weight of 0.12207, and the dimension of “designer’s intellectual backgrounds and thinking power” with a weight of 0.11126 are of the highest importance and occupy priorities 1 to 3. Moreover, the components of “designer’s personal knowledge of the design subject” with a weight of 0.03413, “designer’s experiences” with a weight of 0.03352, and “designer’s value system” with a weight of 0.03349 had the highest level of agreement among experts, occupying priorities 1 to 3. The criteria of “designer’s insight and attitude,” “designer’s lived experience (Physical and non-physical),” “attention to mental schemata,” “activation of personal knowledge without regard to critical criteria and ideas,” “attention to the external, functional, and emotional characteristics of personal knowledge,” and “extent of experiencing examples at tangible and intangible levels of personal knowledge,” also with a weight of 0.00673 and priority one, had the most significant influence on the process of active ideation in design.

Conclusion: The proposed model conceptualizes active ideation as a dynamic and multi-layered system in which Intrapersonal origins in the context of the designer's mindset play a central role, while contextual and informational factors act as supportive inputs. The presented components and criteria, by facilitating the active ideation process, provide a theoretical basis for the advancement of architectural design education and professional practice.