Effect of Creative Thinking Techniques on the Designer and the Product in the Creative Architectural Problem-Solving Process; (Problem Finding to Problem Solving)

Today, the possibility of facing problems for which there is no predetermined solution in architecture has increased. Therefore, trying to bringcreativity into problem solving is always vital. The main purpose of this research was to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention of creative thinking techniques in the creative architectural problem-solving process. The present study is practical in terms of purpose. The research method is an experimental with a pre-test and post-test design with an experimental and control group. Finally, the data were analyzed using ANCOVA, MANCOVA, and Bonferroni post hoc statistical tests using SPSS 25 software. The results of data analysis between experimental and control groups show a significant and positive effect of creative thinking techniques on two levels: 1) problem solving creativity and presented solutions, fluidity (F=21.96 and P=0.0001), expansion (F=3.49 and P=0.05), initiative (F=27.31 and P=0.0001) and flexibility (F=9.88 and P=0.001); 2) Creativity in design product (P=0.0001 and P=41.07). Also, the results of the Bonferroni test to examine the pairwise difference show that among the creative thinking techniques, paradigm breaking technique have more effective results than the paradigm stretching and paradigm preserving techniques (mean difference=0.004 and 25.02). By using creative thinking techniques in the he process of solving architectural creativity, it is possible to achieve the growth and promotion of components of creativity (fluidity, expansion, initiative, flexibility) in designers and provide creative solutions in the process of solving architectural problem, which will ultimately result in the design product in the three areas of physical, function and semantic. Also, in the process of solving creative architecture, as we move from paradigm preserving techniques to paradigm breaking techniques, the amount and level of creativity (the solver and the presented solutions-design product) increases.