A model proposal to improve creativity in architectural design process

In architectural education, which is based on interaction and communication, there is a dialog provided by using the tools of representation. In the past, there was a more monopolistic educational structure shaped by the influence of schools and movements, while in the process, individualization was seen in the educational structure with the increasing number of universities with formal education. Over time, the diversification of representation tools with digitalization and the inability to use these tools in a qualified manner have led to a weakening in the quality of education. One of the most important factors of this situation is that the new generation born into the digital world cannot use technology in a qualified way and cannot spend the architectural design process efficiently as a result of the decrease in focus periods. The fact that students skip the creative thinking stages of the architectural design process and turn directly to the final product has led to a decline in creativity in architectural design education. In this context, considering the 21st century competencies, architectural design education needs to be reconsidered. Architectural design education is based on learning by doing and is focused on developing creativity. The use of architectural representation tools at the right stage of the design process is an important factor in the development of creativity. This study proposes a model in which traditional and digital tools are used together to support the production of creative thinking in architectural design education. This model, limited to architectural design studios, aims to improve the production of creative thinking by redefining architectural education in the digital age. The study, which aims to improve the creativity level of the designer-student in the architectural design education process with the appropriate and correct use of representation tools, follows a mixed methodology in which qualitative and quantitative research methods are used together. The effect of the proposed training model on the production of creative thinking was analyzed and tested on two separate field studies. As a result of the quantitative and qualitative analyses, the model was validated and defined as an educational method that can be applied in architectural design studios. As a result of the field study, it was determined that creativity is a phenomenon that can be developed by learning intellectual, architectural and technical skills. The findings of the field study are as follows; The pre-test results show that the perception and creativity levels of the architecture students participating in the tests need to be improved in the context of architecture education. The use of traditional or digital representation tools by the architecture students participating in the tests is not at a qualified level. As defined in the design stages of the education model, the increase in the level of creativity is higher with the representation tools used on-site. The increase in the creativity level of the students who use the representation tool qualitatively in the design stages of the education model is higher than those who do not. The education model applied in the workshop format increased the ability to produce creative thinking more than the compulsory studio course. It was determined that the creativity levels of the first-year architecture students who participated in the tests -despite having less architectural knowledge- were higher than the second-year architecture students who participated in the tests. As a result of the study, it was determined that creativity in architectural design education is a phenomenon that can be developed by learning the intellectual, architectural and technical skills of architecture. For this purpose, it was concluded that contemporary and conventional representation tools should be used appropriately, accurately and qualitatively. In order for architectural design education to catch up with the requirements of the age and to keep up to date, while including digital representation tools in education, it should not cause the existing tools to lose their meaning. In the design process, representation tools should be considered as tools that support the process, including the generation of the design idea and the visualization of the final product. Applying an educational model that will support the production of creative thinking to architecture students at an early stage will produce more successful results.