Group Dynamics and Creativity in Graphic Design

There is little theoretical knowledge in the existing literature as to how group dynamics may influence the creative process underlying the production of an advertisement and the creative outcome resulted from the process. Moreover, few empirical studies investigate the relationships between group dynamics and the creative process and outcome among practitioners in real-life business contexts. The decision-making criteria and motives of employing and structuring particular design aspects in the presentation of particular types of propositions in an advertisement by the practitioner community are also seldom empirically and systematically examined.This project aims to fill this void by studying the impact of group dynamics on the creative process and outcome in relation to the production of a print advertisement among five creative teams from different graphic design companies in Hong Kong. It will employ both quantitative and qualitative research methods, which include investigating the individual characteristics of each team member through a questionnaire; studying how each creative team operates in daily life through in-depth interviews with art directors, designers, and copywriters; conducting an experiment in designing a print advertisement with each creative team in its actual working environment; conducting observational fieldwork and retrospective interviews to identity and explain the decisions and interactions made among the team members with respect to the experiment; and evaluating each team's performance in the creation of the print advertisement by ten art or creative directors working in other graphic design companies.