Exploring How to Support Creative Block
Timeline: February 6th 2024–March 20th 2024
Team: Caroline Rumani, Diego Reyes-Alicea, Valerie Fahel-Schaffer, Vedant Darak
Role: Observational researcher, user interviews, quantitative/qualitative data analysis, research artifacts
Project Overview
Our study investigates the current pathways of artists and designers during their creative block to understand their motivations and mental models. We aim to explore user needs in a technology-based solution that helps artists, designers, and hobbyists address creative blocks.
Key Insights
100%
Participants adjusted their environment before creating
75%
Descried the need for structured routines to manage blocks
Method
We began with literature reviews to understand the strain creative block places on both artists and designers. First we conducted scenario-based observations, where we observed users reenacting a creative block and how they handled it. These sessions highlighted various themes for our semi-structured interviews, allowing us to learn more about how users navigate creative block through qualitative data analysis.
Scenario-based observations
Semi structured interviews
Data analysis
Design implications
Part 1: Scenario-Based Observations
We asked participants to share their individual experiences with being creative. Then, our team presented a general project scenario with a period of creative block. We tasked participants with showing us their process to overcome this creative block via the Zoom screen-sharing feature.
Data Analysis Method
Affinity Diagram, Sequential Task Analysis
Observation Activity
Imagine you have a project you need to complete within the next few hours. This project can be anything you wish, so long as it is a creative project. However, you begin to experience creative block. Could you share your screen and show how you might overcome the creative block?
Identified Themes From Interview
Preparation
Creative process
Environment
Tools Used
Digital/physical tools
Most effective tools
Relaxation
Mental check-ins
Breaks
Creative Block
Confidence
Experience
Part 2: Semi-Structured Interviews
Our interview questions included:
Usage of digital/physical tools
Latest creative experience
Creative task preparation
Work/hobby activities
Sources of inspiration
Relaxation methods
Personal creative block experiences
Data Analysis Method
Qualitative Coding, Affinity Diagram, Codebook
Sara is frustrated as she is having creative block within the ideation stage of projects: “Where do I begin?”, “How can I begin?”
Research Artifacts
From our interviews/observations, our team created two personas, two scenarios, experience maps, and a priority matrix from our qualitative data analysis (one of them is below). These visualizations created a holistic view of the creative block, and potential users’ needs in a technology-based solution.
Design Implications for a Creative Assistant
Our research artifacts pointed out direct/indirect design implications that target some participants' struggles with creative blocks. These aspects highlight how a creative assistant can help designers and artists overcome creative block. Blue chips indicate high priority features.
Preparation
Consider user’s current environmental needs and support an established routine to manage future creative blocks.
Allow user inputs for a creative task routine
Prompt to clear their space
Prompt to gather tools
Relaxation
A solution should help users relax and decompress from their creative work to return refreshed after a creative block.
Ability to pause given creative task
Self-reflection reminder
Timer
Inspiration
A solution must provide personal and meaningful inspirations, and offer advice from trusted peers.
Uniquely tailored inspiration
Prompt to gather tools
Social features
Process Structuring
Provide a hierarchical analysis of a current project at both macro/micro levels and integration across platforms.
Task management
Personalization
Task structure
Reflection & Future Work
Future work would explore more creative occupations and age ranges, such as those with more physical art experience or more tenured artists. It may yield new findings regarding the accessibility and desirability of certain features. Therefore, our team recommends future research on the following:
Expand Research
Conduct user research with a greater set of participants based on age, occupation, and creative experience to better understand the target audience.
Prototype Testing
Test a prototype with potential users for greater understanding of its feasibility and use, and its effectiveness in overcoming creative blocks to make improvements.
Interested in collaborating? Let’s connect!
copyright Diego J. Reyes-Alicea | designed by Diego J. Reyes-Alicea | updated July 2025
Project Overview
Our study investigates the current pathways of artists and designers during their creative block to understand their motivations and mental models. We aim to explore user needs in a technology-based solution that helps artists, designers, and hobbyists address creative blocks.
Project Overview
Our study investigates the current pathways of artists and designers during their creative block to understand their motivations and mental models. We aim to explore user needs in a technology-based solution that helps artists, designers, and hobbyists address creative blocks.
Method
We began with literature reviews to understand the strain creative block places on both artists and designers. First we conducted scenario-based observations, where we observed users reenacting a creative block and how they handled it. These sessions highlighted various themes for our semi-structured interviews, allowing us to learn more about how users navigate creative block through qualitative data analysis.
Method
We began with literature reviews to understand the strain creative block places on both artists and designers. First we conducted scenario-based observations, where we observed users reenacting a creative block and how they handled it. These sessions highlighted various themes for our semi-structured interviews, allowing us to learn more about how users navigate creative block through qualitative data analysis.
Scenario-based observations
Semi structured interviews
Data analysis
Design implications
Key Insights
82%
100%
Of participants have never used an AI news aggregator
Participants adjusted their environment before creating
80%
75%
Considered receiving the full story as essential
Descried the need for structured routines to manage blocks
Part 1: Scenario-Based Observations
We prompt engineered a set of custom instructions for the underlying large language model, using Perplexity. This methodology was inspired by scholarly work on quantifying bias, notably from Xiao Fang et al.'s article, "Bias of AI-generated content."
To validate both our AI's output and our hypothesis about the user-AI perception gap, we conducted a "Media Bias Detection Sprint" in class. Following a structured protocol, classmates first analyzed headlines manually and then compared their findings to Ana's generated analysis.
Observation Activity
Imagine you have a project you need to complete within the next few hours. This project can be anything you wish, so long as it is a creative project. However, you begin to experience creative block. Could you share your screen and show how you might overcome the creative block?
Observation Activity
Imagine you have a project you need to complete within the next few hours. This project can be anything you wish, so long as it is a creative project. However, you begin to experience creative block. Could you share your screen and show how you might overcome the creative block?
Data Analysis Method
Data Analysis Method
Affinity Diagram, Sequential Task Analysis
Affinity Diagram, Sequential Task Analysis
Found major/sub themes used for interviews
Identified Themes From Interview
Preparation
Creative process
Environment
Tools Used
Digital/physical tools
Most effective tools
Relaxation
Mental check-ins
Breaks
Creative Block
Confidence
Experience
Part 2: Semi-Structured Interviews
Our interview questions included:
Usage of digital/physical tools
Latest creative experience
Creative task preparation
Work/hobby activities
Sources of inspiration
Relaxation methods
Personal creative block experiences
Screener Questions
Are you over 18?
Have you ever experienced creative block?
Are you willing to discuss your experience with creative block?
Data Analysis Method
Qualitative Coding, Affinity Diagram, Codebook
Research Artifacts
From our interviews/observations, our team created two personas, two scenarios, experience maps, and a priority matrix from our qualitative data analysis (one of them is below). These visualizations created a holistic view of the creative block, and potential users’ needs in a technology-based solution.
She finds herself frustrated as she is having creative block within the ideation stage of projects: “Where do I begin?”, “How can I begin?”
Sara is frustrated as she is having creative block within the ideation stage of projects: “Where do I begin?”, “How can I begin?”
Preparation
Consider user’s current environmental needs and support an established routine to manage future creative blocks.
Allow user inputs for a creative task routine
Prompt to clear their space
Prompt to gather tools
Relaxation
A solution should help users relax and decompress from their creative work to return refreshed after a creative block
Ability to pause given creative task
Self-reflection reminder
Timer
Inspiration
A solution must provide personal and meaningful inspirations, and offer advice from trusted peers.
Uniquely tailored inspiration
Prompt to gather tools
Social features
Process Structuring
Provide a hierarchical analysis of a current project at both macro/micro levels and integration across platforms.
Task management
Personalization
Task structure
Design Implications for a Creative Assistant
Our research artifacts pointed out direct/indirect design implications that target some participants' struggles with creative blocks. These aspects highlight how a creative assistant can help designers and artists overcome creative block. Blue chips indicate high priority features.
Reflection & Future Work
Future work would explore more creative occupations and age ranges, such as those with more physical art experience or more tenured artists. It may yield new findings regarding the accessibility and desirability of certain features. Therefore, our team recommends future research on the following:
Expand Research
Conduct user research with a greater set of participants based on age, occupation, and creative experience to better understand the target audience.
Prototype Testing
Test a prototype with potential users for greater understanding of its feasibility and use, and its effectiveness in overcoming creative blocks to make improvements.
Interested in collaborating? Let’s connect!
copyright Diego J. Reyes-Alicea | designed by Diego J. Reyes-Alicea
updated July 2025
Timeline: February 6th 2024–March 20th 2024
Team: Caroline Rumani, Diego Reyes-Alicea, Valerie Fahel-Schaffer, Vedant Darak
Role: Observational researcher, user interviews, quantitative/qualitative data analysis, research artifacts
Exploring How to Support Creative Block
Exploring How to Support Creative Block
Reflection & Future Work
Future work would explore more creative occupations and age ranges, such as those with more physical art experience or more tenured artists. It may yield new findings regarding the accessibility and desirability of certain features. Therefore, our team recommends future research on the following:
Expand Research
Conduct user research with a greater set of participants based on age, occupation, and creative experience to better understand the target audience.
Prototype Testing
Test a prototype with potential users for greater understanding of its feasibility and use, and its effectiveness in overcoming creative blocks to make improvements.
Interested in collaborating? Let’s connect!
copyright Diego J. Reyes-Alicea
designed by Diego J. Reyes-Alicea
updated July 2025
